Who we are | Trees4Schools

About Us

The Trees4Schools Trust is the Corporate Social Initiative of the South African division of coffee company Miko’s Fairtrade and Fairtrade Organic coffee offering Puro. Internationally the Puro brand already works in partnership with the World Land Trust to purchase and protect areas of precious rainforest in South America. Launched in 2006 in the UK, Puro coffee has saved several reserves.

In 2008, Suzi Nortje, MD of Puro South Africa was looking for a local initiative to contribute a percentage of its turnover to. She was adamant that she wanted a partner who would:

Plant trees in schools
Educate the children in the process

After looking for an exact match to her requirements and unable to find the right partner, Suzi decided to do it on her own – and so the first seed of Trees4schools was sown.

It was quickly realised that although trees were of utmost importance, so too was helping the kids and teachers to feed themselves. And so assisted by her fellow trustees – the green-fingered Ian Loots and the ever-organised Pascale Hoare – the Trees4Schools Trust grew from strength to strength, campaigning to plant as many trees and veggie gardens as possible in local initiatives that feed, educate and look after children.

Our Mission

To create a mode to plant trees in as many of our local schools as possible
To increase the awareness of our youth and future leaders regarding re-greening, reducing our country’s carbon footprint and the devastating effects of global warming
To encourage our customers to match or better our pledges

Our Vision

To utilise the project as an educational tool at the schools involved
To create a sense of ownership and pride amongst the students, so that the welfare and upkeep of the trees will be passed on from generation to generation
To allow each school that receives trees to then nominate other schools, thereby promoting a sense of fellowship and community
To promote sustainability and a continued sense of environmental awareness

Our Commitment

For every kg of Puro Fairtrade or Fairtrade Organic coffee espresso beans sold, 2% is donated to buy and protect areas of rainforest in South America internationally and plant Trees4Schools locally.

Trees4Schools is no longer only supported by the Puro Brand (although Puro continues to donate 2% of their local turnover to the trust), but is now also assisted by some of the biggest names in bath the gardening and hospitality worlds.