“Bringing Colour to the Lives of Children and Communities”
Dutch Flower Foundation supports Local projects in Africa
The 30 Dutch Flower Group companies operate worldwide, including in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Uganda. This globally operating horticulture concern from the Netherlands is keen to put something back in the local communities in areas where they operate. When Dutch Flower Group was established in 1999, the management board immediately set up its own foundation, through which Dutch Flower Group supports a range of local projects, including in Africa. “The establishment of Dutch Flower Foundation ensured that from the start in 1999 we were able to support projects financially,” according to Dutch Flower Foundation’s chairman Boudewijn Rip. “We do this mainly in areas where the growers we work with are situated. We also support projects in areas where Dutch Flower Group companies are situated and in regions where our employees live.”
Professional organisation In the past two decades the Dutch Flower Foundation has grown into a professional organisation, consisting of a board of 5 persons, employed by companies within Dutch Flower Group. The board members are Boudewijn Rip (Dutch Flower Group and director at SuperFlora), Claudia de Wit (Hamiplant), ElfriedaPenders (OZ Planten), Mariëlle van Veggel (Dutch Flower Group) and Wencke van Renssen (Green Partners). The Dutch Flower Foundation’s funds are provided by the 30 companies within Dutch Flower Group. Clients also contribute to the Foundation, which in organisational terms is separated from the commercial activities of the Dutch Flower Group companies.
Making social contributions “In addition to the business side of our collaboration with growers in Africa, we feel it is important to make a specific social contribution to local communities,” says chairman Rip. “We are therefore pleased that more and more parties approach us for support of structural projects in areas where we work closely together with our customers and our growers. If it concerns specific projects, where children are the most important target group and it concerns an organisation run by volunteers, we are happy to make a substantive contribution through our Foundation.” Overview of supported projects In 2016 the projects supported by the Foundation in Africa included:
- contribution to baby house, Nafasi Welfare Home (Uganda)
- donation for construction of a vegetable garden for Village 16 (Zimbabwe)
- contribution to nutritional centre, Umutima Foundation (Zambia)
- contribution to nursery school, Beautiful Kids Namibia (Namibia)
- contribution to AMREF Flying Doctors via African Classic (Tanzania)
- new kitchen for Sibusiso Foundation (Tanzania)
- contribution for irrigation of botanical garden for Dreamcatcher (South Africa)
- contribution to orphanage in Pietermartizburg (South Africa)
- financing of Amboseli Noonkotiak Grassbank and reseeding project with Just Diggit (Kenya)
- the construction of a sanitary building at the Childrens Shelter Home (Ngong, Kenya)
- new kitchen for St. Paul’s Children Home (Kenya)
- construction of houses together with Habitat for Humanity (Kenya)
By contributing to these projects, the Foundation has donated almost € 60,000.00 for the improvement of the living conditions of children and communities.
More publicity
“We would like to generate more publicity for Dutch Flower Foundation,” explains Rip. “This is one of the reasons we have created a new recognisable logo. The logo symbolises that we, right from our hearts, want to make a contribution to those who need it most. We would therefore like to call on initiators of projects to contact the Dutch Flower Foundation.”
The application form and further information about Dutch Flower Foundation is available on: www.dfg.nl/en/dutch-flower-foundation Dutch Flower Foundation: bringing colour to the lives of children and communities.
