During November and December 2021 more than 450 of our supervisors and managers on our farms were put through a training course.  The training provided them skills on people management, communication, interpersonal relations and time management. The 2 day training included theory based learning and also practical, this enabled our managers and supervisors to understand how to deal with different situations that may arise during their operational practice.

The feedback on this training initiative of Sher Ethiopia was positive by all employees and the t-shirts we distributed to the team last week will be worn with pride by them. As we say to all our people managers:  ‘lead by example”  in all your (re)actions!

The Sher Fairtrade Premium Committee is an independent workers initiative that allocates a share of their budget to support community projects. In 2021 the committee decided they wanted to help to improve the housing situation for some of the impoverished community members in Ziway. In close collaboration with the town administration, families in need have been selected to benefit from the project where 16 new apartments will be built. Sher FPC will pay for all materials and Sher Ethiopia has agreed to donate in the form of labour by the construction team.

Recently the foundations have been finished, and we have now started erecting the walls. We hope to finish the project by April says Andualem Abera (Construction Supervisor and General Assembly Chair Person).

Last Saturday 1000 Sher employees graduated from their skill trainings offered by the Sher Fairtrade Premium Committee. Over a period of 10 months, they were taught skills in Driving, Beauty Salon, Tailoring, Basic IT or Barbershop. The Sher FPC is offering these trainings at a subsidized rate of 70%, where 30% is paid by the employees.

We congratulate all students with their excellent results and thank them for their hard work. Studying besides a daytime job at the company requires dedication and commitment. So well done!

For 2022 the Sher FPC will continue the skill-trainings program and will add extra courses on Electronics maintenance, Mobile maintenance and Catering and Food. We hope that many employees will sign up for the trainings offered in 2022.

Water hyacinth is an invasive species in Ethiopia. The presence of this non-indigenous water hyacinth is a growing concern for many lakes around the world. It is an aquatic plant that can live and reproduce on the surface of fresh waters or can be anchored in mud. Plant size ranges from a few inches to a meter in height. Its rate of proliferation under certain circumstances is extremely rapid and it can spread to cause infestations over large areas of water causing a variety of problems. It grows in mats which can reduce light and oxygen, change water chemistry, and affect flora and fauna. It also causes practical problems for marine transportation, fishing and at intakes for hydro power and irrigation schemes.

In Ziway the problem is addressed in two ways. Firstly, by physically removing the water hyacinth from the lake and shores. Large groups of Sher-employees team up to remove the plant from the water, and secondly by planting trees in the upper catchment area, as deforestation, erosion, and the washing of sediment into the lake is the root cause of this problem. Over the last few years, we have planted over 800.000 trees in the upper catchment area, and we will continue planting with our partners IDH and Fair and Sustainable. We would like to thank our employees for taking on these challenging tasks.

Last week, more than 100 students from Sher High school in Ziway organized a clean-up campaign around the streets of the school compound. Hundreds of kilograms of waste were collected. Litter is a persistent problem in Ethiopia. Fortunately, our students show that the new generation is willing to roll up their sleeves. Well done boys and girls!

All of the staff here would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas. May your time be spent taking in all of the joys that the holidays bring.

We are pleased to report that the local governments in Ziway and Adami Tulu have made available thousands of Covid-vaccines for our employees. A large-scale vaccination campaign was launched last week. Over 5500 employees have been vaccinated since last Tuesday. We expect to be able to offer a vaccine to all employees who are willing within about 10 days. The campaign is led by employees of our hospital who were fortunately able to receive a vaccine at an earlier stage. That also applies to our teachers at the Sher schools. We hope to soon be able to contribute to a large campaign targeting all people in the communities in which we operate. Our thanks go to everyone involved in the current campaign and to the organizations that made the vaccines available.

Recently 12 Sher employees successfully completed their one-year course at the Women School of Leadership (WSOL) organized by Fairtrade Africa. WSOL was established with an intention to empower female employees at the workplace on matters related to social, reproductive health, economic power, disability inclusion, and all other factors that affect women at work.

The WSOL participants went through a ten-module training and the graduates are expected to cascade their knowledge through a peer-to-peer program on the farms. They can also begin an income-generating activity that would help them subsidize their income. A seed capital will be provided to them by Fairtrade Africa.

This year the WSOL program was also about including men in the gender committee as a way of diversifying the gender committees and to encourage the collaboration between women and men.

We congratulate our fresh graduates and thank Fairtrade Africa for organizing this important course.

Today our Silver and Gold status for the EHPEA Code of Practice was officially extended. This label from the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association monitors the social and environmental performance of affiliated exporters of flowers, cuttings, and vegetables in Ethiopia. EHPEA Code of Practice has three levels: bronze, silver, and gold. Code of Practice Silver is equivalent to the international Global GAP for flowers and ornamentals. Control Union Certification (CUC) performs the independent audits and certifications during certification. Compared to the Code of Practice Silver, Gold status requires additional activities and collaboration with the local community and the horticultural sector. Sher Ethiopia has held Gold status since 2014.

We would like to welcome you at the Trade Fair 2021 in Aalsmeer 2021 on 3,4, or 5 November. Our stand is located in the middle of the exhibition floor (stand number 19.8)
During the fair we would like to talk to you about all recent developments while enjoying a cup of coffee, a snack or a drink. We look forward to your visit.

The Trade Fair Aalsmeer is a unique networking and inspiration event in the field of floriculture.