Building a Stronger Community Together through Sustainable farming and Learning

On June 20, 2025, Adami Tulu Sher School hosted a successful experience sharing program to showcase learnings from the newly constructed Sher School educational vegetable garden. The event brought together a wide range of participants including Mr. Usman Batu, Deputy Mayor of Zeway, local government officials, farmers, community leaders, Sher management and School Directors, representatives from Farm Africa, and the Sher School Family Committee.

Sher School and the educational vegetable garden

The Sher Schools are initiatives of Sher Ethiopia PLC comprising five school sites across Adami Tulu and Ziway. Together, these schools provide free education to over 6,500 children, supporting both employee families and the broader community.

In 2024, Sher Ethiopia and Farm Africa joined forces to promote sustainable agriculture and enhance school meal programs through school based farming initiative . As part of collaboration, Farm Africa provided improved seedlings, vegetable seeds, and technical support to facilitate the intervention while Sher Ethiopia supported with manpower, land preparation, installation of irrigation waterlines, construction of a water storage tank, and the building of a nursery shed.

This partnership led to the establishment of  1.35 hectares of land within one of  the school compounds, producing vegetables, root crops and fruit trees. The vegetable garden functions as a training centre for students and local community , and also as a source of fresh , nutritious  food for school feeding program.

The project has recently expanded to include local families with access to land, equipping them to grow their own food using the same sustainable methods.

Experience sharing program

As part of their ongoing commitment to sustainable development and community support, Sher Ethiopia and Farm Africa recently held an Experience sharing program attended by 130 participants. During the event, representatives from both organizations presented their collaborative effort to enhance farming technique that inspire students and community. The session highlighted the positive impact of integrating diverse crops and trees that can improve productivity and nutrition to all users.

Mr. Usman Batu expressed his appreciation to Sher Ethiopia and Farm Africa for organizing the program. He praised their work as a model for others and emphasized its alignment with the government’s effort to support students feeding program. He encouraged everyone to learn from this and apply to the community at their neighborhood.

Sher Ethiopia extended heartfelt thanks to all participants and dedicated staff for their hard . Moreover Sher expressed its commitment to strengthening partnership and continuing to support sustainable solutions that benefit students and the community as a whole.

We’ve got great news: Sher Hospital has recently acquired a brand new ultrasound machine. This significant advancement  in our diagnostic capabilities is made possible by the generous support of Van Dijk Flora, Dutch Flower Foundation and Royal FloraHolland Foundation.

Our hospital serves over 100,000 patients each year, offering radiology and gynecology services, among others.

The new machine allows us to:

• Improve coordination between departments
• Make faster and more accurate diagnoses
• Reduce waiting times for patients

That’s good news for our team – but even better news for the people we care for every day.

Dr. Demsachew, Medical Director of Sher Ethiopia Hospital: “I am thrilled to express our deepest gratitude to our esteemed donors: Van Dijk Flora, the Dutch Flower Foundation, and the Royal Flora Holland Foundation. With your generous contribution to this state-of -the art ultrasound machine, we can significantly improve our services through increased diagnostic confidence, improved workflow, and cross-department collaboration. Together, we are making a meaningful impact on patient’s health and wellbeing.”

We believe healthcare should keep improving. And with the support of dedicated partners , we’re able to raise the bar – for the quality of care for our patients and the community that we are a part of.

Sher Ethiopia School would like to extend its heartfelt appreciation to former Sher School student Turri Abu for his generous contribution of school materials to the 10 best performing students of the Sher Elementary School in Ziway.

Turri’s gesture is a remarkable act of kindness and a testament to his lasting connection to our school community. His gift packages, which include a dozen exercise books, pens, a pair of shoes, a school bag, and a uniform, will provide invaluable support to these high-achieving students,

The gift packages were presented during a special handover ceremony. Ato Demelash W/Yohanis, Human Resource Operations Manager at Sher Ethiopia, had the honor of handing over the packages on behalf of the school. In his speech, he expressed deep gratitude for Turri Abu’s continued support, highlighting how his generosity serves as both a reward for hard work and an inspiration for future success.

We sincerely appreciate Turi for remembering his roots and giving back to the school that played a role in his journey. His contribution reflects the true spirit of community and the power of education in shaping future generations.

Thank you, Turi, for your unwavering support and generosity!

Sher Ethiopia and Batu Town Celebrate International Women’s Day 2025

Sher Ethiopia flower farm and Batu Town celebrated International Women’s Day 2025 in a big way! Sher Ethiopia focused on the theme “Accelerate Action,” while Batu Town highlighted “Equality and Empowerment for All Women and Girls.” Both events showed how important it is to support women and recognize their hard work.

Sher Ethiopia’s Celebration

At Sher Ethiopia, the event was planned by the company’s gender committee. Important guests attended, including CEO Mr. Freark Bruinsma, Director Mrs. Lulit Tadele, Farm Director Mr. Andrew Brook Smith, and Group CSO Mr. Zeri James. Special guests from the mayor’s office, the Women and Children Affairs office, and community leaders (Hade Sinqe) were also there.

The event celebrated women from different departments, giving them a chance to share their stories and inspire others. A special moment was when hardworking women were recognized and given awards for their achievements.

During his speech, CEO Mr. Freark Bruinsma talked about the company’s promise to support women. He explained how Sher Ethiopia is working to create more opportunities for women and make sure men and women are treated equally at work. The event reminded everyone how valuable women are to the company’s success and encouraged an inclusive and supportive workplace.

Batu Town Women’s Day Celebration

In Batu Town, the Women and Children’s Affairs Office organized a big event to support gender equality and celebrate women’s achievements. People from government offices, businesses, schools, and community groups joined the celebration. Important traditional leaders, such as Hadh Sinke and Aba Geda, were also present.

The event started with a speech from Sofiya Filto, a representative from the Women and Children Affairs Office. She talked about why Women’s Day is important and why we must keep working toward equality. Guest speakers from the Oromia Anti-Corruption Commission and the Batu Town Prosperity Party also spoke. They thanked women for their hard work and said everyone must work together to make sure women have equal chances in life.

A panel discussion took place, where representatives from businesses and the government talked about women’s rights, education, and financial opportunities. They discussed the challenges women face and shared ideas on how to solve them.

At the end of the event, the Women and Children Affairs Bureau gave awards to businesses that support women by providing jobs and helping them earn money. Sher Ethiopia was one of the companies honored with a certificate of recognition for its efforts in empowering women.

Both celebrations in Sher Ethiopia and Batu Town showed how important it is to take action for gender equality. They reminded everyone that when we work together, we can create more opportunities and a fairer world for all women and girls.

At Sher Ethiopia, we believe that the health, dignity, and well-being of our employees and the communities we serve are fundamental to our success. As part of this commitment, we launched an initiative to provide essential menstrual hygiene products to our female employees and schoolgirls, ensuring they have access to the resources they need to thrive.

A Step Towards Empowerment

Recognizing the challenges   many women and girls face due to lack of access to sanitary products, we introduced a structural plan.

We will distribute disposable sanitary pads to farm employees every month, and reusable sanitary pads every six months.

This initiative reflects our dedication to empowering women and young girls by addressing menstrual hygiene challenges, reducing absenteeism, and promoting overall well-being.

Leadership in Action

The first distribution in January 2025 was led by our senior management team, including Flamingo Group CEO Olivia Streatfeild and Sher Ethiopia Director Lulit Tadele.

During the distribution event, Olivia and Lulit took the opportunity to speak with the schoolgirls, inspiring them to pursue their dreams and overcome challenges. They emphasized the importance of education, self-confidence, and perseverance in shaping a brighter future.

A Positive Impact

The response to this initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. Many beneficiaries expressed their gratitude, highlighting how this support contributes to a healthier, more inclusive environment for all. We are proud to contribute to improving individual well-being and to fostering a stronger, more empowered community.

Recently, Sher Hospital welcomed a brand-new ambulance, handed over in a special ceremony attended by SHER Ethiopia CEO Mr. Freark Bruinsma and COO Mr. Aswin Endeman. Guests of honour were community representative ‘Abageda’ Abdurahman Dekebi, who blessed the event, and Batu/Ziway Health Office Delegate Mr. Feyisa Lenjiso.

In his speech, ‘Abageda’ Abdurahman expressed gratitude to SHER Ethiopia for providing an additional ambulance, emphasizing its positive impact on strengthening the hospital’s community services. Mr. Aswin Endeman thanked everyone who helped bring the ambulance to Ethiopia, with special appreciation to Ethiopian Airlines for supporting its transport. He also acknowledged the SHER Hospital staff for their dedication to delivering high-quality healthcare to both employees and the wider community.

Dr. Demsachew, Medical Director, and Mr. Nura, Hospital Manager, received the ambulance keys on behalf of the hospital. The new ambulance is now ready to support referral needs, emergency calls, and the daily medical services provided by the hospital, benefiting both employees and community members alike.

We are incredibly proud to share that we were named the winner of the Dutch Flower Award in the category of international suppliers during the Trade Fair in Aalsmeer!

In celebration of Dutch Flower Group’s 25th anniversary, this 22nd edition of the Dutch Flower Award focused on ‘long-term partnerships.’ We are honored by this recognition of our longstanding and strong partnership and are proud to celebrate this milestone together.

Congratulations to fellow winners Pico Bello Hortensia (cut flowers category) and Opti-Flor (plants category), and a big thank you to the Dutch Flower Group, Van Dijk Flora, the Floral Connection and our other partners for their recognition and support!

In our efforts to upgrade the services of the Sher Hospital in Batu / Ziway we have recently received a significant donation from Dutch Flower Foundation which was used to buy a fully automated BS-200E chemistry analyser. This device operates with an open system that uses multiple reagents. Now the hospital can buy different types of reagents from local market with fair price and good quality. It can perform multiple tasks: organ function test like renal function tests, liver function tests, electrolyte tests and others. Because it is fully automated, less human intervention is needed. It has a capacity of performing 200 tests per hour.

Laboratory Head, Surafel Kebede, emphasises on quality service delivery which requires not only qualified personnel to perform the tests promptly but also infrastructure like modern laboratory machine. He says: “The laboratory has implemented major improvements over the last two years including room expansion, replacement of old equipment and staff training programs. The new chemistry analyser helps us to improve our services even further.”

After installation and a professional training from the manufacturer for all staff involved, the new machine was put into use.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dutch Flower Foundation on behalf of all employees of the Sher hospital for this generous donation.

At Sher hospital all Sher employees (approx. 12.500) and Sher-students (6.500) get free medical care. Members of the community are served at a low-cost rate. Over 100.000 patients are treated every year.

Dutch Flower Foundation (DFF) aims to improve the living conditions and well-being of people in need and in particular children. Through the activities of DFF, DFG gives substance to its responsibility for the world in which we live.

At Sher Ethiopia inclusion of employees with disabilities has always been without doubt. Nevertheless, we are grateful that within the DONUTS program of Fairtrade Africa another 70 disabled employees have been supported with devices to enable them to work more comfortable. Making the total beneficiaries 178.

In this project Sher Ethiopia and Fairtrade Africa team up with Gerarbet Rehabilitation Association, located in Ziway, to carry out the measurements for the beneficiaries to determine the kind of device required and the proper fitting of the devices. These include a.o. tricycles, crutches, artificial limbs, eyeglasses, and hearing devices. Recently, these devices have been handed out.

We sincerely thank Fairtrade Africa and the Gerarbet Rehabilitation Association for their great work and support.

Recently, the Dental Clinic has undergone a big renovation. The room now has two dentist chairs making the procedures more efficient. The traditional X-ray machine has been replaced by a portable digital X-ray. Instead of using film, we now use an electronic sensor to take pictures.

Previously, while using traditional X-ray technology, for the development chemicals were needed. Moreover, it took a lot of time and the quality of the images were inferior compared to digital X-ray.

Dr.Netsanet Abebe, dentist: ”I am very happy with this addition to our clinic. The digital X-ray makes perfect images which are available right on demand making our patient flow more efficient.’

Sher Ethiopia continues to invest in its hospital that serves employees, Sher- School students and community members.