Day Care Center

The Gitothua Day Care Centre (DCC) was built in 2003 as an initiative of our FLO – Max Havelaard Joint Body, a workers’ organization from Red Lands Roses who alloted part of the profits from roses sold under Max Havelaar label. The German Development bank also contributed 200,000 EUR through its Private Public Partnership grant to build the day care centre. Since then, the DCC has been expanded with two new baby rooms and an office, thanks to the donation of one of our esteemed clients Mr. Jean-Alian Maillot of Axel Fleurs in Reunion Island.

The centre can accommodate up to 70 children from 3 months to 3 years old. Most of them are Red Lands Roses employees’ babies and a few come from the poorest families in the neighbouring community and are accommodated for free.

All proceeds from our roses sold at our Muthaiga shop go to the maintenance of the DCC. This alongside the vegetables and fruits from their own garden and water from their well make the DCC an independent entity with its own employees – nannies, head nurse and gardener- who take care of the children.

Knowing their child in good hands while they are working is a great relief for employed mothers, especially the single ones. They bring their children to the DCC early in the morning and pick them up after work. Lactating mothers are allowed to breast feed their children in the course of the day and this provides them with the much needed comfort of checking up on their babies during the day. The concerned employees contribute only 10% of the actual cost while the rest is catered for by revenue from our local shop in Muthaiga and well wishers.