Empowering Tea Communities in Kenya

Empowering Tea Communities in Kenya is a transformative three-year partnership between ActionAid, Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP), and its member companies Taylors of Harrogate, Lavazza, and Sainsbury’s, and the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). This groundbreaking approach to tackling human rights issues in the tea sector brings together companies' knowledge and influence with ActionAid’s human rights-based and feminist approaches to community mobilisation. The pilot has engaged over 25,000 members of tea-growing communities – particularly women – who have been supported to engage with government and private sector actors to promote safe, fair, and dignified work and improved livelihoods, whilst also reducing supply chain risks for companies. Research conducted will be used to influence long-term changes in policies and practices with an estimated 600,000 farmers and 300,000 informal workers set to benefit.

Over the last year 1,474 Rights Champions have trained 6,542 other community members to know and claim their rights through the training of trainers approach. 127 rights violation cases including gender-based violence (GBV) and child labour were reported. 62 survivors of GBV were supported to access medical, legal, and psychosocial support. 995 children were re-enrolled in school after a child labour report informed a “Back to School” campaign.