2015 Annual Report
CONTENTS
Introduction………………………….. ….. 03
Structure…….…………………………… 04
Board of Directors……………………….. 05
Staff……..……………………….………… 06
Foundation Council………….………… 07
Project overview………………………… 08
Ghana Projects……………….………….. 10
Senegal Projects……………….…………16
South Africa Projects……………………. 17
Past projects revisited………………….. 18
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 2 A LETTER FROM THE BOARD
2015 was another busy year for the Foundation. We completed ten projects including our first in Senegal, we launched our School Farm of the Year competition to encourage the next generation of farmers, and we celebrated with our founding partners at the Waitrose Foundation as they reached their ten year anniversary.
‘Embracing Agriculture’ was an appropriate theme for 2015. Farming is the mainstay of each of our businesses and is the means to feeding a rising world population, and yet it is in decline. In Ghana the discovery of oil has averted attention away from agriculture and towards a non-renewable resource which has seen its value plummet over the past three years. Meanwhile despite abundant natural resources and bags of potential, the value of value-added agriculture has almost halved since 2005 when it was worth 41% of GDP to only 22% of GDP in 2014. Ghana is just one example, but there are many like it. If we want to crush poverty and ensure we have enough food to feed the world then the message is clear; we must embrace agriculture.
Blue Skies has grown because of its proximity to farmers, but it cannot prop up the agricultural sector alone. For it to work it must have support from all sections of society in order to provide the market, the environment, the energy, the skills, the people, and the encouragement to thrive. The Foundation can play a part by bringing together participants in the supply chain to strengthen trading relations and address some of the challenges, but we need others to also play their part and to take their responsibility. So as the Foundation goes from strength to strength we cannot afford to be complacent and neither can we expect to do everything, but we can do what little we can to inspire others to also take the initiative and get behind agriculture!
The Board of Directors
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 3 STRUCTURE
The Foundation is structured in such a way that enables projects to be identified by the communities themselves. Projects are proposed by the communities based on their needs. Each of six geographical zones (representing areas where Blue Skies sources its fruit) has an elected member on the Foundation council – usually a Blue Skies farmer. The communities present and discuss their proposals in front of the Foundation council, which will then submit their recommendation to the Foundation board. Projects have to show a clear management and maintenance strategy by the communities.
Projects are evaluated after completion and again after one or five years depending on the outcome of the evaluation. The Foundation manager at Blue Skies supports and oversees the implementation and visits each project regularly. Projects are owned by the communities.
Funding Parties
Waitrose is a UK supermarket company which is part of the John Lewis Partnership. The company has 197 stores and focuses on selling high quality food and offering exceptional customer service.
Albert Heijn is Dutch supermarket company and has 750 stores in the Netherlands. Like Waitrose, Albert Heijn also focuses on selling quality food and offering a high level of customer service.
Blue Skies is a fresh-cut fruit company with factories in Ghana, South Africa, Egypt and Brazil. The company prepares fruit at its factories which it sells to shops in Europe, South Africa and Brazil, including Waitrose and Albert Heijn.
Advisors
ICCO are an independent advisory body who provide advice on projects on behalf of the Albert Heijn Foundation. ICCO offer advice on the development of project applications as well as project implementation, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment.
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 4 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Abena Asomaning-Antwi Foundation Advisory Director
Abena is a Management Consultant with multi-faceted experience gained from years of working in different disciplines and sectors. Her areas of expertise include Identification and Composition of new Ventures; Results-based Strategic Management and Planning, Effective Networking and Customer Care. Abena is also Founder & Executive Director of Angel Zoe Foundation, a Ghanaian Non-Profit Organization which aims to assist in the rehabilitation, reformation and reintegration of women in prison and to render support to vulnerable children.
Amali Bunter Foundation Director, Waitrose
Amali Bunter is responsible for managing Waitrose’s sustainable development programme across Africa, the Waitrose Foundation, which aims to enable better livelihoods for workers within the retailer’s supply chains. She also manages the business's strategic partnership with Fairtrade, from product conversions, marketing campaigns and targeted programmes in sourcing communities. She is passionate about the role of business within global development and the positive impact of sourcing responsibly.
Anthony Pile Foundation Director, Blue Skies
Anthony Pile is the Founder and Chairman of Blue Skies, which he setup in 1997. He was a soldier in the British Army for 13 years and saw active service in the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Cyprus. He has been a magistrate, attended the post graduate Sloan Fellowship Programme at the London Business School and was the Managing Director of Orchard House Foods. In 2011 Anthony received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Cranfield in recognition of his achievements with Blue Skies.
Henri Zondag Foundation Director, Albert Heijn
Henri is a graduate from Nijenrode Business University in the Netherlands. After active military service as an Infantry Officer in the Dutch Army, he joined Procter & Gamble in 1982 where he spent much of his career in customer development, marketing, organizational development and general management. In 2007, he was invited by Ahold to become involved in the development of their Sustainable Business Development model. Henri currently oversees community development projects in cooperation with several African suppliers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mali and Ghana.
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 5 FOUNDATION STAFF
Simon Derrick Blue Skies Foundation Coordinator
Simon joined Blue Skies in 2005. He looks after the company’s brand and communications and has taken a lead role in advancing the Joint Effort Enterprise model which Blue Skies has become recognised for. He has a Masters degree in Sustainable Development and has previously worked for the BBC and for a market research agency as a data analyst and systems developer.
Alistair Djimtey Blue Skies Foundation Manager
Alistair Derby Djimatey joined Blues Skies in 2002 as a quality Assurance Officer. He progressed to the position of Audit Controller in charge of ensuring compliance with BRC, GlobalGAP and organic standards. He was also responsible for internal auditing of the quality management system and training of newly employed staff as well as refresher training for regular staff. Alistair has high affinity for community service and advocacy. He was the chairman of the local Union for over two years.
Waydu Nhlapo Blue Skies Foundation Representative, South Africa
Waydu Nhlapo was born in Siyathemba and is married with two daughters. She is a graduate from Vanderbiljpack Collage. Waydu joined Blue Skies in 2004 and was elected as Welfare chairperson. She was appointed as a Quality Assurance Officer in 2005 and was later made a team leader. Waydu enjoys working closely with people and devoting time and effort where her help is needed. In 2006 Waydu was promoted to the position of Human Resource Manager and currently remains employed in this capacity. She took on the additional responsibility as Foundation Officer in 2009.
Gloria Asare Blue Skies Foundation Representative, Senegal
Gloria Asare is the General Manager of the Blue Skies Packhouse in Senegal. Gloria has a wealth of experience in fruit procurement and plays an instrumental role in sourcing mango for Blue Skies across the West African Region. Gloria is entrepreneurial, resourceful and fluent in many languages including French, which is the native language of Senegal. Gloria leads the Foundation Committee in the town of Notto Gouye Diama where the Blue Skies pack house is based.
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 6 FOUNDATION COUNCIL
Our Foundation Council in Ghana meets regularly to debate project ideas and develop proposals for submission to the Board.
The Council is made up of representatives of staff and grower regions. Led by Foundation Manager Alistair Djimatey, our Council Members are Frank Essel (representing sugarloaf pineapple growers), Martin Owusu (representing staff), Gametti Moses (representing pineapple growers), Lemuel Mantey (representing papaya growers), James Nyamson (representing coconut growers), Seth Diammah (representing the first mango growing area), and Alimo Godfred (representing the second mango growing area).
Some of the Council are pictured below with the Foundation Board. Photographed (left to right) is, Seth Diammah, Frank Essel, Amali Bunter, Martin Owusu, Gametti Moses, Simon Derrick, Henri Zondag, Abena Antwi and Alistair Djimatey.
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 7 2015 PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project was to provide a new three-classroom block, head teacher’s office and store for the school to enable a safe environment for the teachers and students.
The aim of this project was to construct a four bedroom teacher’s accommodation block for a school in the Central Region of Ghana in order to
improve the retention rate of teachers at the school.
The aim of this project was to provide a new twelve seater KVIP for the people of Pokrum in order to improve the health status of the community and reduce incidents of communicable diseases.
The objective of this project was to construct a 10- seater KVIP latrine for a school in a pineapple growing community in order to reduce communicable diseases among the population.
This project was to provide a toilet facility for patients and staff at a clinic in the town of Nswam in order to improve sanitation and raise the profile of this important health facility.
The aim of this project was to clean-up the town of Notto Gouye Diama by mobilizing volunteers within the community and providing bins and equipment to enable the safe removal of waste from the area.
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 8 2015 PROJECT OVERVIEW
The ‘School Farm of the Year’ Competition has been designed to encourage students in Ghana to get involved in setting up and managing a farm for their school.
Zenzele Day Care Centre
The project involved the provision of furniture, toys and learning resources for this Day Care Centre for children between the ages of 2 and 5 in the town of Greylingstad in South Africa
This project was to provide play equipment for the Joy Day Care Centre which is located in the town of Grootvlei in South Africa to improve literacy among learners going in to primary education.
The aim of this project was to support this centre for disabled children in the town of Balfour in South Africa by providing learning resources and catering equipment.
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 9 GHANA PROJECTS
Obodan is a community of around 1,500 The student population has people in the Akuapem South Municipality of risen from 189 to 250 pupils the Eastern region of Ghana. It is a farming and currently all classrooms community and home to several pineapple are full. suppliers to Blue Skies.
The Junior High school is used by a number of neighbouring villages and has a population of about 200 pupils. Previously the classrooms had become structurally unsound and large cracks led to the buildings being declared unsafe by local authorities.
This project was therefore to provide a new three-classroom block, head teacher’s office and store for the school to enable a safe environment for the teachers and students. The project was completed in July 2015.
Above: The new classroom block at Obodan School
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 10 GHANA PROJECTS
Nanabin is a farming community of around Teachers are now 1,900 people including 24 suppliers of available for longer Sugarloaf pineapple to Blue Skies. The village periods of the day. As a has a basic school with around 400 pupils and result student contact 10 teachers, however due to the remote hours have increased location of the village and the poor availability and discipline within of adequate accommodation, the school has the community has improved. had difficulty in keeping many of the teachers that have been posted here.
In the last seven years thirteen teachers have been transferred to other schools which has reduced contact time available for students and led to a sharp decline in academic performance. The provision of a four bedroom teacher’s accommodation block was therefore designed to improve the retention rate of teachers at the school to help reduce absenteeism, increase contact time and improve performance of students at the school.
Above: Scenes from the opening ceremony and the new accommodation block
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 11 GHANA PROJECTS
There has been a 100% Pokrom is a pineapple farming community reduction in cholera located in the Akuapem Municipality of the and related diseases Eastern Region of Ghana and has a population since the project was of about 1800 people. Pokrom is home to completed,. 60% many pineapple suppliers to Blue Skies, increase in knowledge including some of the first to supply Blue Skies on communicable when the company started operating in 1998. disease within the community. The community has an old public place of convenience which is in a bad condition and located too far from people’s homes to be used, therefore there has been a gradual increase in incidents of communicable disease over the years due to poor sanitary conditions within the area.
This project was therefore to provide a new twelve seater KVIP for the people of Pokrom in order to improve the health status of the community and reduce incidents of communicable diseases.
Above: The KVIP at Pokrom shortly after its completion
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 12 GHANA PROJECTS
Pakro is a farming community in the Nsawam- Indiscriminate Adoagyiri Municipality in the Eastern Region defecation by students of Ghana and is home to 1,700 people has reduced by over including a number of suppliers to Blue Skies. 90%. Academic Pakro has an Anglican School which has over performance has also 700 pupils studying at both Primary and increased. Junior High levels. A few years ago the school’s only toilet block collapsed leaving nowhere for people to go. In the three years prior to this project reports on faecal related sickness increased as well as malaria and other water borne diseases. During a recent cholera outbreak in the country, this community recorded the second highest infection rate with three deaths.
The objective of this project was therefore to construct a 10- seater KVIP latrine for the school to improve the health status of the community, prevent seasonal cholera and reduce communicable diseases. Work on the project started in January 2015 and was completed by June in the same year.
Above: The new KVIP at Pakro School
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 13 GHANA PROJECTS
The Blue Skies Foundation first supported Everybody is proud and the Nsawam Clinic in 2010 when it renovated confident when at work. the medical training centre. As part of the Patient satisfaction and Foundation’s evaluation process, the Board staff confidence levels revisited the project in December 2014 and have improved as a met with the Director and staff at the project. result of this project. During the visit it became apparent that there was an urgent need for a toilet facility for the clinic for use by staff and patients as there was nowhere for people to go other than using facilities across the street. The Board therefore agreed it would consider an application by the clinic for a toilet block as long as it was screened and approved by the Foundation Council according to the proper process. By January 2015 the project had been approved by the Council and was given the go ahead by the Board for work to start with immediate effect. It was officially opened in June.
Above: Pictures of the new WC facility in various stages of development
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 14 GHANA PROJECTS
Despite abundant natural resources and a growing population, agriculture is in decline in Ghana. Farming is perceived by the young as a ‘dead-end’ occupation for the very poor and an unattractive proposition for bright, ambitious job seekers. In addition there exists poor infrastructure to support rural areas and enable agricultural interests to maximise its potential. The value of value-added agriculture has almost halved since 2005 when it was worth 41% of GDP to only 22% of GDP in 2014. This is bad news for the Ghanaian food industry, exporters and for Blue Skies and its customers who rely on Ghanaian farmers for its supply of high quality, fresh fruit.
The ‘School Farm of the Year’ pilot competition was launched in Ghana in 2015. This is a project the Foundation started planning in 2014 as an extension of our ‘Get Inspired’ campaign to inspire young people think about how they as individuals can make a positive difference in the world.
The ‘School Farm of the Year’ Competition has been designed to encourage students to get involved in setting up and managing a farm for their school, so that they may learn about agriculture and its value in a competitive environment.
The ‘school farm’ or ‘garden’ was once a common feature in schools in Ghana and was a place where students would visit to learn about food and farming. More recently however the school farm concept has declined and it is reported that the only engagement students would have with agriculture was to be sent to the local farm if they misbehaved!
The School Farm of the Year Competition is therefore intended to help to reverse the negative image of agriculture among young people in Ghana to foster the next generation of farmers.
Above: Students at participating in the School Farm Competition
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 15 SENEGAL PROJECTS
Notto Gouye Diama is a farming community in the Thies region of Senegal with a Odours from population of around 1,300 people including accumulated waste in some staff and suppliers of the neighbouring the area has reduced Blue Skies pack house. One of the biggest drastically since this project took place. challenges within the community is the management of waste as there is nowhere for community members to dispose of their rubbish. The result is that mounds of waste are left to build up on the streets and behind people’s homes, thereby creating a serious risk to the health of local people leading to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera during the wet seasons. An additional environmental and health hazard is created from fumes when waste is burnt.
This project, the first for the Foundation in Senegal, was therefore intended to clean-up the town by mobilizing volunteers within the community and providing bins and equipment to enable the safe removal of waste from the area. An important objective was to encourage a sense of responsibility and volunteerism within the local community so that the project could be replicated in the future, and to raise awareness of the Blue Skies Foundation and how it might work together with community members to solve other challenges. The project took place on 9th September 2015.
Above: The clean-up operation in progress at Notto Gouye Diama
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 16 S OUTH AFRICA PROJECTS
The aim of this project was to support this centre for disabled children in Balfour by providing learning resources (including computers, toys and puzzles) and catering equipment (including a gas stove and a chest freezer) to enable an enhanced learning environment and to help the centre to provide a feeding programme for the children.
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
The Zenzele Day Care Centre is located in the town of Greylingstad in South Africa and has over 60 2 to 5 year old children and 7 staff. It is designed to improve literacy levels among learners going in to primary education. The project involved the provision of a new ‘Jungle Gym’ playground.
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
The Joy Day Care Centre is located in the town of Grootvlei in South Africa and cares for 84 children between the ages of 2 and 5 and has 4 members of staff. The centre caters for needy children in the area and, like the Zenzele project, is intended to improve literacy among learners going in to primary education. This project was to provide play equipment for the Day Centre.
Project Evaluation Score Physical condition GOOD Working Maintenance Plan YES Overall Status GOOD
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 17 PAST PROJECTS REVISITED
Completed: 2014. Location: Juapong, Ghana Details: Construction of two classroom block for a Junior High School
Completed: 2014. Location: Yaw Duodu, Ghana Details: Accommodation for three teachers for a remote Junior High School
Completed: 2014. Location: Akraman, Ghana Details: Water system for papaya farming community in Ghana.
Completed: 2014. Location: Canaan, Ghana Details: Water system for a coconut farming community in Ghana.
Completed: 2014. Location: Somanya, Ghana Details: Water storage tanks for two schools in Ghana
Completed: 2014. Location: Sokpekope, Ghana Details: Construction of public toilet block for village in mango growing area
Completed: 2014. Location: Abortia Junction, Ghana Details: Construction of public toilet block for village in mango growing area
Completed: 2014. Location: Oboadaka, Ghana Details: Toilet block for a pineapple farming community
Completed: 2014. Location: Siyathemba, South Africa Details: Security fence for a crèche in the town of Siyathemba
Completed: 2014. Location: Balfour, South Africa Details: Renovation of a kitche for a primary school in South Africa
Completed: 2014. Location: Balfour, South Africa Details: Provision of seating for a waiting area at a clinic
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 18 PAST PROJECTS REVISITED
Completed: 2013. Location: Yaw Krow, Ghana Details: Construction of public toilet block for village in papaya growing area
Completed: 2013. Location: Dobro, Ghana Details: Construction of a three classroom block for a primary school
Completed: 2013. Location: Krabo Krese, Ghana Details: Provision of two boreholes and handpumps for a papaya growing community.
Completed: 2013. Location: Nsakye, Ghana Details: Construction of public toilet block for village in pineapple growing area
Completed: 2013. Location: Balfour, South Africa Details: Playground and learning materials for two schools.
Completed: 2012. Location: Akotuakromm, Ghana Details: Construction of public toilet block for village in papaya growing area
Completed: 2012. Location: Nsawam, Ghana Details: Construction of public WC for a town in Ghana
Completed: 2012. Location: Balfour, South Africa Details: Renovation of WC blocks for primary school in South Africa
Completed: 2012. Location: Balfour, South Africa Details: Renovation of WC blocks for primary school in South Africa
Completed: 2012. Location: Somanya, Ghana Details: Construction of an agricultural training centre for farmers and students
Completed: 2011. Location: Abortia, Ghana Details: New classroom block construction for Primary School
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 19 PAST PROJECTS REVISITED
Completed: 2011. Location: Nsawam, Ghana Details: New multi-use games area for Blue Skies and surrounding community
Completed: 2011. Location: Nsawam, Ghana Details: Renovation of medical training centre for a clinic
Completed: 2011. Location: Balfour, South Africa Details: Provision of computer equipment for I M Manchu Secondary School
Completed: 2011. Location: Greylingstad, South Africa Details: Provision of perimeter fence for Tegwan’s Nest Primary School
Completed: 2011. Location: Greylingstad, South Africa Details: Provision of computers for an orphanage
Completed: 2010. Location: Sekykrom, Ghana Details: Renovation of a Kindergarten and construction of a WC and Kitchen
Completed: 2010. Location: Fotobi, Ghana Details: New classroom block construction for Fotobi Junior High School
Completed: 2010. Location: Amanfrom, Ghana Details: Construction of compost toilet system for Amanfrom village
Completed: 2010. Location: Akraman, Ghana Details: Renovation of classroom block for Akraman Primary School
Completed: 2010. Location: Canaan Farm, Ghana Details: Provision of corn mill and construction of service centre for Canaan Farms
Completed: 2011. Location: Ekumfi Abor and Ekumfi Nanabin, Ghana Details: Mechanized water system for Abor and borehole and hand pump for Nanabin
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 20
The Blue Sky Foundation PO Box C 3506, Accra, Ghana
www.blueskies.com/foundation
Blue Skies Foundation Annual Report 2015 21