Our Impact
We make it, we measure it, we grow it.
We take immense pride in the many lives that Hortus has been able to benefit over the years. To have the opportunity to empower people's success is a gift and a responsibility, and we take it very seriously.
Making a difference.
Employee Spotlight: Julie Maka
Julie has been with the Hortus winter crew since 2013. Thanks to her formidable work ethic and unwavering positivity, she's now one of our best pruning supervisors. With her initial earnings, Julie opened a small shop selling goods in her village in the Solomon Islands, and eventually opened a bakery in the capital city of Honiara. Today, her bakery employs 25 staff and provides bread to the entire city. For Julie, it was important to use her money to build something she could grow and use to support her family long-term. These days she is investing her earnings in a piece of land outside the city where she can one day build a home, grow veggies, and raise some chickens.
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
What is the most important thing in the world?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
The people, the people, the people.
What it's all about.
Our RSE Whanau
The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme was set up in New Zealand in 2007 as a means for the horticulture industry to tap into the invaluable labour resource of our neighbouring Asia-Pacific countries.
This enabled the horticulture and viticulture sectors to confidently grow amid domestic labour shortages, knowing they had access to a reliable and motivated workforce. In turn, it also supplied participating nations with a significant revenue stream through the remittances of these workers. This has helped the Asia-Pacific communities and businesses to develop and grow, as well as improve the education prospects of the upcoming generation.
In New Zealand, industry growth as a result of the RSE scheme has meant permanent, reliable job creation and career paths for Kiwis in fields like labour management, pastoral care, and accommodation management (to name a few).
Horohia ai nga pakiaka o te rakau. He ruruhau mo nga iwi ke
With hands spread we lay the roots of the tree. People of all tribes under its shade
Our seasonal workers have different cultures and speak different languages, but at Hortus they come together as whanau. We are lucky to employ men and women from Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Our RSE Impact
Each year we survey our RSE whanau on the stuff that really matters; how their time spent working in New Zealand impacts their lives, families, and communities back home. Read our RSE Impact Statement for a snapshot of what 2021 delivered, as well as our Impact Report which dives deeper into the how and why of our Pacific Island impact. We also have the 2020 statement available to view as we're always tracking our progress.
