|
|
Kenya: Life Not Bed of Roses for Flower Farms' Employees
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
The East African Standard (Nairobi)
9 July 2007
Posted to the web 9 July 2007
Alex Kiprotich
Nairobi
Driving along Moi South Road in Naivasha town, nothing attracts the eye than the endless acres of greenhouses lining the shores of Lake Naivasha.
The breathtaking beauty of fresh red, yellow and white flower petals relaxes the mind, especially after a rough ride on the rugged diversion from Nakuru to Gilgil.
But this beauty has come at a cost. Workers in the blooming flower industry have paid dearly to make the flowers blossom.
Underneath the white plastic paneling, thousands of workers plant and water millions of roses and carnations to the detriment of their health from deadly chemicals.
A flower traditionally signifies love, purity, affection, and beauty, but to these workers, it is a symbol of misery.
Their harsh life is evident as none of those interviewed agreed to have their name or picture published.
"We appreciate what you are doing in fighting for our rights, but we are in a fix," said a 31-year-old worker.
It is ironical that the industry that rakes in billions of shillings is the source of misery for thousands of workers.
About 100,000 flower farm workers live in horrible conditions.
Along the Moi South Road, Karagita slum houses more than 60,000 employees.
Other similar slums are Kihoto and Kayole.
Most families live in ten by ten rooms, only partitioned by a piece of worn out sheet.
And because of the high demand of houses, there is little choice of who to share the room with.
Poor housing and amenities
"What goes on in these slums cannot be described. You can imagine a couple and a bachelor separated by piece of torn sheets," says Mr Amos Omulele.
A few kilometres from the slums are palatial homes of the farm masters.
The rapid growth of the industry has meant that many companies have found it difficult to keep pace with the needs of the growing number of workers and their families.
"Workers used to be housed within the flower farms, but they have been kicked out because of their numbers and to create room for expansion," says Omulele
Mr Peter Otieno, the branch secretary general of Kenya Plantation and Agriculture Workers Union (KPAWU), says employees are also over-worked.
"People should not be working above 48 hours a week, but here, some work 56 hours," he says.
Workers also have no access to clean water, and the few schools available cannot accommodate all children.
At Marera Primary School in Karagita, about 3,000 pupils fight for space.
"About 250 pupils are crammed in one classroom. Is that education?" poses Naivasha Mayor, Mr Thomas Gitau.
Violations of rights rampant
The chemicals used in the farms have had their toll on some workers.
Ann says she lost her left eye after chemicals splashed on her. "It started itching and after some time it completely blacked out," she says.
When she raised the issue with a supervisor, Ann says, she was warned against demanding compensation.
"He (supervisor) warned me that I risked losing my job and compensation," she says.
Another farmhand, Susan, says she has experienced miscarriage twice since she started working at the farms six years ago.
|
Joseph, 30, left his home in Emuhaya in 2002 to try better his life. But five years later, he would easily pass for a fifty-year-old.
"I was mixing chemicals to spray the flowers when they splashed on my face. The mask I had was worn out," he says.
As his health deteriorates, Joseph says he is not about to quit the job.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
