"I have built my house using money from tea plucking," said Adriano, who has worked for Kibena Tea in southern Tanzania since 1996. "It is made from mud bricks. The Kibena Tea Fair Trade Fund have given me iron sheets to roof my house."
The fair trade fund at Kibena administers the Fairtrade premium and Adriano is just one of many workers whose homes have been improved through the provision of iron sheeting for their roofs.
Working at Kibena means Adriano is able to pay the school fees for his 10-year-old daughter, Adela, and help with the cost of schooling two orphaned relatives too.
"I would like to improve the lives of my children," he said. "I would like them to go to secondary school and higher education, so they can work in a good position."
Adriano's working day is made a little easier as he is the proud owner of a bicycle, which he bought in 1999. Using it to move from field to field can save him up to 25 minutes at a time - helping him to reach his target of six baskets of tea each day. Adriano's journeys to and from home are also safer, thanks to a local cycle track paid for with the Fairtrade premium.
About Kibena
Kibena is a modern plantation and factory and the fair trade premium it earns from its excellent teas is transforming the lives of its workers, their families and their communities.
Thanks to the premium, they have built and equipped primary schools and village dispensaries, paid for a maternity ward for the local hospital, and supplied new water pumps.
Buy tea from Kibena
When asked what message he had for people in the UK, Adriano said: "Please continue buying tea from Kibena to help us to improve our life conditions."
You can buy fair trade tea on our webstore.
