Making a difference to everyday life
Our people are our number one priority. Marginpar is known for it: we like to empower our people. But making people grow and be empowered is not something we just put into practice on the workplace, it goes far beyond the gates of the farms. The Marginpar Foundation helps to make a difference in the daily lives of the communities around us.
For example, we help build schools and additional classrooms, we improve roads and infrastructure, and we create free water points for the community. We have been doing this, and much more, for years, and starting in 2022, we will support these community projects through the Marginpar Foundation. This foundation will participate and invest in local projects in communities connected to our farms.
Part of the funding comes from ‘the Marginpar mix’. At the Dutch distribution centre, we prepare auction trolleys with a fixed number of flower bunches per bucket. However, what happens next is that a few bunches of flowers are ‘left over’ because, for example, we put 80 bunches in flower buckets on an auction trolley and number 81 does not fit in. All these extra bunches are collected and mixed, so that florists can buy mixed flower buckets instead of the mono buckets that we normally supply. This is especially interesting for the smaller florist, who does not need 50 stems of the same product. Our fantastic breeders have generously donated their royalties from the mix. All proceeds of the mixes go to the Marginpar Foundation.
WE SUPPORT THE CREATION OF STRONG COMMUNITIES TO GROW STRONGER PEOPLE.
Projects
Farms
Countries
The Boloti Secondary School in Tanzania is home to around 100 children between the ages of 12 and 17. Thanks to the Marginpar Foundation, the school now has access to sustainable energy through its rooftop solar panels.
In the region, power outages are common, which has forced the school to rely on noisy diesel generators. However, with the donation of solar panels and daylight lamps by the Marginpar Foundation, the school can now generate its own electricity. The solar power was put to the test soon after the installation when the school experienced a three-day power outage!
Sister Cecilia Irangi, the school's director, expressed gratitude for the solar panels, stating that "I am thankful that the classrooms are now well-lit, and the children and teachers no longer have to deal with noise pollution." Another benefit is that the school no longer has to spend money on the expensive diesel generator, allowing them to invest more in education.
We joined forces with flower farm Bondeni Flowers and Xanitation Solutions - the XOPI to provide schools in Machame, Tanzania with a sustainable hygiene solution.
Hygiene is an important factor when providing children with a safe and healthy school environment. Poor hygiene can lead to high absenteeism - especially for girls at the age of 11 and above.
Soap bars are available locally at markets, but if left unattended and exposed to weather get soaked, dropped in the gutter or eaten by animals.
Xopi is sturdy, safe and works with regular soap bars, which are easy to come by and safer for the environment than liquid soaps. The Xopi dispenses soap flakes which are grated from the soap bar, kept clean and dry inside.
A team from Bondeni Flowers and an expert from Sanitation Solution has provided hygiene training to school management and pupils, focusing on hand washing, toilet facility cleaning, and maintaining cleanliness in the school compound.
Xanitation Solutions: "The project establishes a baseline for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) situation in primary and secondary schools around Bondeni Flowers. Subsequent actions and interventions will be based on this baseline to enhance WaSH conditions in schools. This, in turn, will create a healthier and safer environment for pupils, improve academic performance, and contribute to increased attendance, particularly among girls."
