Thursday, July 17, 2008

Coffee Kids in Copenhagen

From June 16-23, 2008, I attended the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe’s (SCAE) “Wonderful Coffee” Conference and Expo in Copenhagen, Denmark. Joining me were Executive Director Carolyn Fairman and Board President Rob Stephen.

During the event SCAE members and friends came together for workshops, trainings, the World Barista Championship and a trade show with several hundred exhibitors. Given the growing number of European supporters and heightened interest in Coffee Kids’ work, we decided to attend the event thanks to gracious support from the SCAE.

Mick Wheeler and Jens Henrik Thomsen of the SCAE went out of their way to welcome Coffee Kids, and even organized an event-wide fundraiser, whereby proceeds from all the bottled water sold at the event benefited Coffee Kids. Large posters all around the venue publicized the fundraiser and did much to increase Coffee Kids’ visibility. Several other businesses also did on-site fundraisers for Coffee Kids.

Baresso Coffee of Denmark organized a coffee-tasting contest with $2 donated to Coffee Kids for every correct answer. Beyond the Bean from the U.K. donated half of the proceeds from their smoothie sales to Coffee Kids.

It was wonderful to meet so many new people, including business owners from all over Europe and Scandinavia, who wanted to learn more about Coffee Kids. Many of them had heard about the organization, but didn’t know the scope of our work.

I experienced great enthusiasm and interest from both small and large coffee businesses, from the corner café and large-scale roasters to espresso machine manufacturers. We look forward to increasing our presence in Europe and would like to thank all of our supporters and friends for the wonderful welcome!

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Program Update: FomCafe - Mexico

Acting Program Director José Luis Zárate and International Programs Coordinator José Carlos León visited the communities of La Muralla and Teponaxtla near Putla, Oaxaca, Mexico in June. You can see more pictures from this trip on Coffee Kids’ Flickr page.

Coffee Kids partner FomCafé works with coffee-growing communities in the area to help them develop and create projects such as edible mushroom production, family gardens, organic honey production, savings/microcredit groups and health care improvements.

We met with women from the communities of La Muralla and Santa Cruz Tutiahua who take part in the organic family garden project and the savings/microcredit groups.

During our stay, the women explained the challenges they face including a lack of health services, access to credit and viable economic options. The women then showed us how the organic vegetable project and the access to microcredit has given them an avenue to cope.

On our second day, we visited the community of Teponaxtla, where an edible mushroom production module has been installed this year. The women are enthusiastic and looking forward to continuing with the project and learning about mushroom production.

The visit gave us a clear view of the opportunities and the hopes of the women of Putla. In collaboration with FomCafé, Coffee Kids continues to support the leadership and creativity of the women in the region.

The visit reiterated the fact that any type of development and social initiative needs to be based on direct communication and close integration with the needs and priorities of the community. As they gain confidence and learn more about each of these projects, the women of La Muralla, Tutiahua and Teponaxtla are gradually taking the lead of these projects and initiatives.

You can see more pictures from this trip on Coffee Kids’ Flickr page.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Program Update: Guatemala

In April, Acting Program Director José Luis Zárate visited the Association for Sustainable Development of Paraxaj (ADESPA) in Paraxaj, Guatemala and the Association of Health Promoters of San Pedro (APROS) in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.

APROS continues to provide pregnant mothers with pre- and post-natal training through a strong network of locally based, health promoters. Their newest support program for widows has also been very successful. APROS works with over 75 widows from five communities around Lake Atitlán. The average age is 75 and most of them live alone in very poor conditions. The program brings the women together for workshops and activities and provides them with a healthy meal. APROS’ program also promotes the importance of geriatric care and support among the rest of the community. To see more photos from the APROS visit, check out our Flickr site.

The second part of the trip was to a bakery project run by our partner ADESPA. Coffee Kids began working with ADESPA to promote adult literacy two years ago. This year, ADESPA continues the literacy work and has also created a bakery project for the community. Paraxaj produces less than 20% of the bread that community members consume. Much of the bread sold in the community is brought in from other communities and is often low quality and expensive. The bakery project provides a locally based, high quality alternative and additional jobs. To see more photos from the ADESPA visit, check out our Flickr site.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Voice from the Field: Juana Sisimite

Juana Sisimite is an artisan project instructor working with Coffee Kids’ partner Association for Sustainable Development of Paraxaj (ADESPA) on their Technical Work Training Program. Sisimite is teaching 26 women from the community of Paraxaj how to create ‘fajas’ or decorated belts that women in the region use as part of their traditional dress. This artisan project is part of ADESPA’s larger goal to create economic options in the coffee-farming community of Paraxaj.

“I learned this work watching other women who dedicated themselves to this activity in the community of Patzicia and since it the work appealed to me, I decided I wanted to learn. In the beginning it was hard because no one was teaching me and so the only way to learn was to put the needle in the beads and begin with a line that took me almost a week. I was the first in my familiy to learn this work and afterward I taught my sisters, now we all do this work.

“Now we are teaching all of these women. I told them to take advantage o the opportunity to learn because you can make money in this business. We deliver our products to three places in the town of Chimaltenango, and in the festival season they sell very well. The type of embroidery varies depending on the community, each place has its own colors. For example, in some places the colors of red are used a lot and they don’t use white, but this changes according to town and traditional dress.

“The ‘fajas’ we make can be sold at an average price of Q125 ($17); and to the public in the store sthey sell at about Q150 ($20). The materials to do this work are expensive and we buy them in the town of Patcizia which is about a half-hour away.

“I am single , but when I have my children, I’m going to teach them everything because my mother liked to work a lot and she made many things. She didn’t know how to do this work, but we learned other things with her such as weaving and embroidery and other types of clothes.”

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Voice from the Field: Itzel Guadalupe Navarro Espinoza

Itzel Guadalupe is a member of a youth training group and the radio production workshop sponsored by Coffee Kids’ partner Self-Managed Development (AUGE) in Cosautlan, Veracruz, Mexico.

“I have been a part of the youth training group since 2006. I began by participating in a survey that we conducted in the area of Teocelo. The idea was to learn what the youth enjoyed and liked to do, to know what they thnk where they are from, what they study, what they see for their future, to learn why they emigrate or stop studying and other topics.

“After that, I got involved in other groups with the trainers including music, theater, painting and dance. I’m currently working in radio production and training. There I”ve had the opportunity to participate in the production of radio spots for a world campaign to prevent AIDS for which we won the UNICEF-OneWorld Radio Prize in 2006. We went to Mexico City to receive the prize.

“I have also participated in a Mesoamerican Network of Youth that they conduct every year on the national level. It was a wonderful experience and it’s interesting to participate in the workshops and meet other youth from other regions, states and countries that have similiar ideas and a different vision for the country. And it’s rewarding to meet other young people who not only think about having fun, but also think about the future.

“Another part of the work I do at my school. As a part of my social service, I spend time teaching women from the savings groups in my community to use computers. That way they can track their savings and loans using Excel int he computer that AUGE donated.

“I have enjoyed working with AUGE because from them we have learned and had many experiences that will serve us well in the future.”

Friday, April 04, 2008

Voz del Campo: Itzel Guadalupe Navarro Espinoza

Soy parte del grupo de jóvenes facilitadores desde el 2006. Comencé participando en una encuesta realizada en el área de influencia de Teocelo. La idea era conocer que es lo que a los jóvenes les gusta e interesa hacer, saber que es lo piensan, de donde son, que estudian, que futuro esperan o les gustaría tener, aprender de las razones por las cuales emigran o ya no estudian, y otros temas mas. Después me integre a los otros grupos de facilitadores, teatro, música, pintura y danza.

Actualmente estoy en los talleres de producción de radio y de facilitadores. Ahí tuve la oportunidad de participar en la producción de unos spots de radio para una campaña mundial para la prevención del SIDA, por ese trabajo ganamos el premio UNICEF/OneWorld radio Prize 2006, el cual fuimos a recibir a la ciudad de México.

También he participado en la red Mesomaricana de Jóvenes que se efectúa cada año a nivel nacional, fue una experiencia muy bonita, porque es muy interesante participar en los talleres conocer a otros jóvenes de otras regiones, otros estados y países que tienen las mismas ideas de dar una visión diferente al país. Y darnos cuenta que somos jóvenes que no solamente pensamos en divertirnos, sino que también pensamos en el futuro.

Otra parte de mi trabajo lo hago a través de mi escuela, ya que tengo que prestar un servicio social y lo hago enseñando computación a las mujeres de los grupos de ahorro de mi comunidad, así ellas pueden ahora llevar el registro de sus prestamos y ahorro usando una hoja de Excel en la computadora que AUGE les donó.

Me ha dado mucho gusto conocer AUGE, porque de ella hemos aprendido y tenido muchas experiencias que el día de mañana nos servirán mucho más.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Irish Eyes on Nicaragua

Ever traveled with a pack of Irishmen? Lucky for me I can say that I have. And it was the gift of a lifetime. I traveled to Nicaragua with representatives and affiliates of our long time supporter in Ireland, Java Republic. While it’s always an adventure and an eye opening experience when our supporters visit Coffee Kids project participants, this was truly an extraordinary journey.

I don’t know that I have ever seen such an extraordinary spirit of generosity, compassion, adventure, fun and learning. I myself learned about the Irish and their history and just what incredible people they are. There were people from each region of Ireland, including Northern Ireland. Because of the history of poverty and violence that Ireland has experienced and because they were able to overcome that history largely due to education, these travelers felt a sense of solidarity with the Nicaraguan people. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere after Haiti. Nicaragua has experienced a long history of civil strife, corruption, and poverty. Perhaps it was this ability to identify with this shared history and to see the hope for the future that lead to such exceptional generosity on behalf of these Irish travelers. But I don’t think so. I think they are just highly compassionate people.

I watched as 17 people made a concrete difference in the tiny community of Aguas Amarillas by supporting the students struggling to continue their education and learn new technologies to bring them into the future. Perhaps the most moving gesture, at least to me, was that each one of these people brought back the knowledge that they can make a difference— not just by being associated with Java Republic, but through their own personal commitments to support Coffee Kids and generate more support for the town of Aguas Amarillas and so many like it throughout Latin America.

I have never been so proud to represent Coffee Kids internationally and of the work that we do. I can’t thank them enough for all that they taught me about the impact an individual can have on the lives of others. They each touched many lives, not least of all my own.

Check out pictures from the trip at Coffee Kids Flickr site or you can visit this site and see photos of the trip from our friend Patrick Jordan who was one of the visitors with the Java Republic.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Staff Views: Oaxaca Trip

By Heather Ferraro, Membership Coordinator

As the membership coordinator at Coffee Kids, I work with donors out of our administrative office in Santa Fe. I don’t often have the opportunity to see the projects we support in action, or meet the participants face to face. This was my second visit to Mexico, and my first time visiting remote coffee-growing communities.
In the communities that we visited, we were quick to notice the absence of women in the town meetings. They generally attended only when specifically invited, and they didn’t really serve on committees or participate in discussions.

It was a strange feeling to attend meetings filled with only men, especially since Coffee Kids staff is mostly women, including a female executive director. I wondered what the men thought about all of these women in prominent leadership roles.

I wondered if it makes them think about or question the status of women in their own community, or do they just think that modern American women are a strange anomaly?

It was clear to me that there is work to be done to empower women and create just, equitable gender relations in these communities. Carolyn Fairman explained that in other communities where we work, there have been great strides in promoting gender equity, especially where women’s savings groups have promoted a sense of solidarity and empowerment.

But it’s a delicate balance, respecting current cultural norms while also promoting human rights and civil liberties. Change has to come from within a particular community, and success is more likely when the men participate and support the change.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Staff Trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, Opens Eyes

In early December, Coffee Kids staff visited Oaxaca, Mexico, to learn about some of the programs supported by Coffee Kids partner, CAMPO, and a dry mill run by our partner, FomCafe.

The visit included a tour of CAMPO’s new educational center. Buildings are still under construction, but CAMPO is already using the installations to provide training to coffee farmers from around the state of Oaxaca. Demonstration projects include worm composting and standard composting; organic gardening and greenhouse projects; fish, sheep, rabbit and chicken production; and responsible building techniques (Check out our programs page for more information on CAMPO).

CAMPO’s offices are being constructed using a compacted earth technique, which is similar to adobe with a mix of soil, sand, lime and water optimized for local conditions and compacted into a sturdy wall.

The day after our visit to the center, we traveled two hours down windy roads into the mountains outside of Oaxaca, and then two more hours down a dirt road clinging to the side of said mountains. After four hours of stomach-turning travel, we arrived in Santa Cruz Tepetotutla, a small town clinging to the mountain.

The town is in the middle of a globally important bio-reserve. Jaguars and tepesquintle (similar to a giant spotted rat) maraud the area and lush forests hem the town in. Most families work in coffee and have struggled for years. Thanks to CAMPO’s help many have begun working in other areas to supplement their income and provide a better quality of life for their families and improve their community.

The organic coffee plot of Don Raymundo Osorio was a striking example of biodiversity and responsible management. His tall coffee bushes were ready for harvest and vanilla vines crawled up their stems providing two cash crops on the same shady plot. Raymundo showed us the beginnings of a greenhouse which will provide vegetables year round, part of a project the community is doing with CAMPO’s support.

We returned to the town center to visit with local leaders and learn more about Santa Cruz’s history. The town’s commitment to protecting their forests, water supply and biodiversity has earned them financial incentives from the government for the maintenance of their resources. Their environmental vision and resources also attract a steady stream of students and researchers to the area and they are constructing a research center for these visitors to create additional income for the community.

Community leaders also told us about their struggle to build a road to their community. Until about four years ago, people from Santa Cruz had to walk hours to reach the nearest road. All supplies were packed in. But with a strong effort and support from CAMPO, determined community leaders navigated endless bureaucratic processes to build a road and connect their town with the outside world.

The following day we followed a steep footpath straight down the mountain to arrive at the neighboring community of San Antonio del Barrio, still inaccessible by road. We arrived sweaty and tired in this tiny town in the valley, where we were welcomed by local officials and a marimba band. We met with a group of women who, with CAMPO’s help, have started selling their elaborate, hand-embroidered huipiles (traditional blouses) in Oaxaca City. After the visit, we made the long journey back to Oaxaca City.

The next morning we visited with Coffee Kids partner FomCafé and toured a dry mill, recently purchased by four Oaxacan coffee cooperatives to consolidate and gain control over their production process. We learned about the detailed steps of dry mill processing, but more importantly how the four cooperatives pooled their resources to purchase the mill.

Like so much of what we saw on this trip, it was a reminder of just how enterprising people can be when they are determined to create a better life, and just how much impoverished communities can accomplish with a little bit of help.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Nicaragua Program Trip – September 2007

In September, I visited our partners SOPPEXCCA and CECOCAFEN in Nicaragua. The main goal of the trip was to facilitate an exchange or encuentro between AUGE, a Coffee Kids partner from Veracruz, Mexico, and SOPPEXCCA.

These face-to-face exchanges are an important piece of Coffee Kids’ approach to development by allowing our partners the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and approaches to common problems.

Several months ago, Clara Palma, coordinator of AUGE’s savings and children’s groups, realized that the children in the groups were growing up, which brought up some challenges.

She wondered, what options they could offer these young men and women? Do we just tell them that there is no place for them? Or, do we try to fold them into the adult savings groups?

In Nicaragua, SOPPEXCCA has created two successful programs for children and adolescents in environmental education. As a result, Coffee Kids coordinated a meeting between the two groups to discuss and share approaches to setting up programs for adolescents.

On the second leg of the trip, I visited our partner CECOCAFEN to learn more about the progress of their GMAS (Groups of Women Saving in Solidarity) project and the scholarship program in the region of Nueva Segovia.

This region was one of the first places colonized by the Spanish; it was also an important center for gold production and a constant target of pirates. Ironically, the area is now one the most isolated and rural regions in Nicaragua.

During this trip, I visited the communities of El Ocotal, Jalapa and El Jicaro. Some of the project participants traveled 3 or 4 hours to attend the meetings. The participants shared their feelings and ideas regarding the savings programs and let us know how big a difference it was making in their lives.