Overview:
In 2016-17 we provided our partners with funds for equipment to establish a coffee cooperative amongst the very poor and remote villages on the foothills of Mt Elgon, in eastern Uganda. Building on the success of three seasons of coffee planting, production and export, we are seeking funding to expand their infrastructure and further grow their capacity in this exciting project that has huge potential. The project has several aims: to continue to develop the drying capacity, expand the network of purchasing centres on the mountain, develop new coffee fermentation techniques, purchase a four-wheel drive pick-up van and develop the coffee roastery.
What we like about it:
Our partners have worked in development in this area for over a decade and are empowering farmers to move them past a hand-out model to an empowerment frame of mind. The benefit to the local community is evident with farmers receiving a wage for their coffee beans, allowing children to attend school and improved health of their families through more nutritious food. This project has great momentum and we’re excited that it’s helping 750+ registered farmers and over 4,500+ family members and others indirectly, together with 100+ casually employed during the season. It has shown outstanding results to date.
Budget: $89,500 – includes new machinery, a pick-up van, new tanks, scales and drying lines.
The Need:
Since the brutal leadership of Idi Amin in the 1970s, Uganda has suffered the devastating effects of civil war, HIV/AIDS and rebel conflict, claiming the lives of the parents of more than two million children. The Mbale region is extremely poor. Farmers have previously grown coffee and have been left with little for their efforts due to unfair business practices and corruption. Many are subsistence farmers, and most suffer from a “hungry season” when food is scarce. Intergenerational poverty is the norm.
Life Change:
