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Pelican News

July 2016 | #125 Blue Skies Newsletter

A mission to stand the test of time BlueSkieshasreneweditscommitmenttotheJointEffortEnterprisebypublishinganewpostercenteredaroundafresharticulationofthecompany’smission.Called‘TheMissionMap’,theposterhighlightshowBlueSkiesisaJointEffortEnterprisewhosemissionisto‘buildtogetheraprofitableenterprisewherepeoplerespecteachother,carefortheenvironmentandinspirealegacyforthefuture’.TheMissionMapisdesignedtoensurethevalueswhichunderpinthebusinesswillcarryonenduringasthecompanycontinuestogrow.

YoucandownloadtheMissionMapfromwww.blueskies.com/missionmap.pdf

Blue Skies calls on Ghana to sign EPA

BlueSkieshascalledontheGovernmentofGhanatosigntheEuropeanEconomicPartnershipAgreement(EPA)toensurecontinualityoffreetradebetweenEuropeandGhana.CurrentlyBlueSkiesisentitledtotarifffreeaccesstoEUmemberstateshoweverwithMarketRegulationendingthisyear,thisissettochangeunlessGhanaratifiestheEPA.ThosewhoopposethetradedealclaimthatGhanawilllosemoreinlostrevenueonimportsthanthemoneysavedfromßtarifffreeaccesstotheEUforexports.BlueSkieshoweverarguesthatsustainableeconomicgrowthforGhanaisonlypossiblewithabiggermanufacturingandexportssectorandlessdependencyonimports.BlueSkiesFounderAnthonyPilesaid:“Ghanahasabundantnaturalresources,atalentedandenterprisingpopulationandadesperateneedforemployment.It’sabouttimethegovernmentembracedthisandhelpedtobuildavibrant‘valuedadded’manufacturingsectorthatwastheenvyoftheworld”

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Blue Skies inspires local schools in UK

ThroughoutJuneandJulyJulesFurnivalandSusanBrightwellhavebeenworkingwith16-18yearoldsinlocalschoolstobuildtheirknowledgeandimprovetheirskillsintheworldofemployment.Oneschoolinparticular,MalcolmArnold,tookallchildrenofftimetableforthedaytobroadentheknowledgeofallagesfrom11throughto18yearsold.Both

HilarioJesusandLornaDixjoinedJulesandSusaninsupportingtheinitiativetodeliverbespokequalitytrainingsessionsforallthechildren.Thisinitiativewillcontinuethroughoutnextyear’sschooltermworkingcloselywithNorthamptonshireenterpriseteamandlocalschools.

ReportbyJulieFurnival,BlueSkiesUKHRManager-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New canteen for Ghana takes shape

AnewcanteenforBlueSkiesGhanaistakingshape.Workiscurrentlyaround80%completeandthenewcanteenisexpectedtobeoperationalbyOctober.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue Skies sponsors agricultural boot camp BlueSkiesissponsoringanagriculturalbootcampinGhanaorganizedbyDainNetwork.TheBootcamptakesplaceoverthreedaysinAugustandaimstohelpaspiringyoungagriculturalentrepreneursgaintheskillsandconfidencetopitchtheirbusinessideastopotentialinvestors.

BlueSkieswillsupportbygivingatalkaboutthebusinessandprovidingfreshjuiceandfruits.TheBootCampisalsosponsoredbyNestleandGhanaGuinnessBreweries.Youcanfindoutmoreatwww.dainnetwork.org.-------------------------------------------------

The juice bar from the air

Pictured:theBlueSkiesjuicebaratDobrofromtheair.-------------------------------------------------

#SayHello

#SayHellotoBaibaSipola,QATeamLeader@#blueskiesUK.Baibalikespainting&photography#helloBaiba-------------------------------------------------

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Meet Mbali MbheleIamMbaliMbhele20yearsofage,borninNovember1995.Myfamilyismadeupofbothparents,Ihaveabrotherandtwocousins.IamthefirstchildofMorenaandRebeccaNkosiandtheybothworkatBlueSkiesFreshProduce.

I'maveryloud,openandinteractiveperson.Istartedschoolattheageof7atBonukhukanyaPrimarySchoolthenwenttoBalfourPrimaryschooluntilgrade7.In2009IwenttoBalfourCombinedSchooluntil2013whereIcompletedmymatric.

IstayedinBalfourfor12yearsuntilIfinishedmyhighschoolandthenlefttothecityofJohannesburgwhereIstayedfrom2014untilpresent.IstudiedBusinessAdministrationatRichfieldGraduateInstituteofTechnologyfortwoyearsanddidmypracticalsatBlue

SkiesFreshProduceunderthesupervisionofHRmanagerWayduNhlapointhemonthofJanuary2016.IamgratefulandhonouredtobegiventheopportunitytoworkwithBlueSkiestofulfilmycareerendeavor.

Onthe7thofJune2016Igraduatedwithmyfirstqualification.IamproudtosayIamaqualifiedbusinessadministrator.MydreamistostudyfurtherasfarasIcan.IhopeinmyfutureIwillgetthejobofmyheartdesireasIresumewithmysecondqualification.TomyparentsthankyouformakingsurethatIamwellequippedformyfuturebygivingmethebesteducation.

Pelican News Editorial

Stronger Together SincetheUKvotedlastmonthtoleavetheEuropeanUniontherehavebeenmixedreactionsfromamongoursitesoverwhatthismeansfortheUKandforBlueSkies.WhileBrexitundoubtedlyimpactsBlueSkiesduetothesuddencollapseofthepound,farlessunderstoodisthemessagethe‘leavevote’sendstherestoftheworldabouttheUK’sattitudetodiversityandinclusivity,twoofthecornerstonesoftheBlueSkiesJEE.

ManyofthosewhovotedtoleavedidsoforunderstandableconcernsoverhowtheEUismanaged.Whetheritbethelevelofbureaucracy,thethreattosovereigntyorthelackofdemocracy,itiswidelyacknowledgedevenamongtheremainvoters,thattheEUmustbereformed.Butwhathasstoodout,particularlyforthosewatchingfromoutsidetheUK,ishowBrexithasfuelledworryinglevelsofxenophobiaandracismamongaverysmallsectionofsociety.Thisofcoursemaynotreflecttheviewsofthevastmajorityofleavevoters,howeveritisthesidewhichhasbeenseenbymanypeoplelivingoutsidetheUK,notleastbyourownstaff.SoshouldwenowbelievetheUK,onceabeaconforenterprise,charityandmulti-culturalism,hasnowcloseditsdoorsontheworldanddeclaredthatitnolongerwishestoplayitspartasresponsibleglobalcitizens,helpingtosolvesomeofthemonumentalchallengesfacedbyourplanetanditspeople?

No,ofcoursethisisnotthecase,butwehavearesponsibilitytoassurepeoplearoundtheworld(andputpressureonourgovernmenttodothesame),thatdespiteBrexit,Britainisnow,morethanever,anopen,inclusiveandproudlydiversesociety,whichrecognizesthepartthatimmigrationhasunquestionablyplayedinshapingourcountry,drivingoureconomyandputtingtheGreatinGreatBritain.

Andthesearethevaluesthatwemustcontinuetopromoteanddefendasabusiness.TheyareattheheartofourJointEffortEnterprise;diversity,equalityandprofitability.Westrivetobreakdownthebarriersthatdivideusandembracethedifferencesthatmakeusunique.Itisthisspiritofunion–ofbeingpartofonefamily,regardlessofwhoweareorwherewecamefrom–thathasenabledustosurviveandtothrive.

SowhileweworryaboutwhereBrexitwilltakeus,BlueSkiesstandstallwithunwaveringconvictionforourvaluesandacompleteconfidencethattheywillultimatelyseeusthrough.

Blue Skies Weddings

CongratulationstoBlueSkiesDirectoranddaughterofAnthonyandJenny,HarrietandherhusbandHenry.HarrietandHenryChurchillweremarriedonthe16thofJulyatAllSaints’ChurchinPitsford.OnbehalfofusallatBlueSkies,wewishthembothawonderfulandhappylifetogether.------------------------------------------------

Baby News

CongratulationstoVictoriaandKwameontheirfirstbornson,Dylan.TheBoamahfamilyarepicturedabovewithDylankeptcarefullywrappedinthecoldclimateofGhana!---------------------------------------------

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More Foundation projects completed

Nearlyallour2016FoundationprojectsarenearingcompletionincludinganewclassroomblockforKyintoJuniorHighSchoollocatedneartothefactoryinGhanaandanewprimaryschoolforthepapayafarmingcommunityofPampanso.Our2016SchoolFarmoftheYearprojectisalsowellunderwaywithoverfiftyschoolscompetingtobecrownedthewinnersofthecompetitioninDecemberduringGhana’sFarmersDaycelebrations.

Above:ThenewclassroomblockatKyintoJuniorHighSchoolwiththeirschoolfarmintheforeground.

Above:thenewclassroomblockforPampansoPrimarySchool.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2015 Report is published

ThelatestBlueSkiesFoundationreporthasbeenpublished.Itcontainsanoverviewhttp://www.blueskies.com/foundation2015.pdf-------------------------------------------------

Amali and Tor visit South Africa projects Waydu,StephanandJusticehostedavisittoBlueSkiesSouthAfricabyAmaliBunterandTorHarrisfromWaitroseonthe18thofJuly.AmaliandTorvisitedanumberofFoundationprojectsincludingaDayCareCentrefordisabledchildrenneartothefactoryinSiyathemba,wheretheFoundationprovidedarefrigeratorandcookertoassistinthepreparationofmeals.

Above:ThechildrenhappytohavetheirphototakenattheDayCareCentreinSiyathemba.

Above:AmaliandTorwithstaffatBalfourPrimarySchool.---------------------------------------------