Linah Ruto farms tea in the Kenyan highlands as a member of Anamoi cooperative, an affiliate of Fintea, a Fairtrade-certified organisation. She is also a mother of two. After losing her husband, she managed the farm and her family's finances alone.

"Before Fairtrade came in, my life was not easy. I was living in poverty. I could not save the little money that I had since I had no knowledge on financial management. There was a time that I even had to borrow Ksh 20 from a neighbour. With that amount I bought tea leaves for Ksh 5, Ksh 5 for salt, and spent the rest on other necessities. I had to go without sugar and milk since I had no cow."

The change came through training delivered by a Fairtrade colleague at Chepchep, and through the Gender Action Learning (GLT) project, which covered climate change, income diversification, and financial management.

"I was trained at Chepchep by a Fairtrade colleague known as Nyakundi. He changed my life. Before, people would come and borrow and not pay back, but after the training I was able to save little by little."

The GLT project also offered seed capital through a Village Savings and Loan scheme. Linah borrowed Ksh 100,000 at 1% monthly interest and repaid it in full within a year through check-off.

"That's how I managed to diversify on what I am doing now."

Alongside tea, Linah now keeps bees — twelve hives, with honey sold locally to herbalists — as well as two dairy cows, chickens, and goats. She grows avocados and guavas. Her tea and milk go through the cooperative.

"I bought one calf then, and now I have two cows that I milk. Now I don't regret being a farmer. I like it so much."

With income from her farming, Linah has educated her two children and bought a car.

"I want to thank Fairtrade. Up to now I own a car — something that was not in my dream. I am proud of Fairtrade."

In 2015, she travelled to the United States for her son's graduation from Harvard University. After completing his studies, he returned to Kenya, bought land in Kipsitet, and began farming. Her second child, Chemutai, is pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science at Maseno University in Kisumu County.

The GLT training also changed how Linah runs her homestead. She no longer uses firewood for cooking, switching instead to biogas from her cowshed. She uses solar energy and shares what she has learned about climate change with others in her community.