"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 (KTFTF) 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.
Adriano has moved to the area because of work. His wife and children – Adela, Thomas and Ally – live in another village. Every two months he travels half a day by bus to visit them.
Working at Kibena means he is able to pay the school fees for his 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.
His working pattern is to pluck tea from 7.30am to 5.30pm six days a week, with a half-hour break for lunch, which is "makanda" - maize and beans. On Sundays he attends the Roman Catholic church in Igailo village, where he lives.
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."
