|
Support the Lingo School Royal Coffee has long been involved with projects aimed at improving the lives of those who live in the communities that supply us. While we generally do not talk too much about these  projects or seek to use them as marketing tools, we recognize the value that even the smallest effort can bring to coffee producing areas. In March, I visited the Bench Maji area of southwest Ethiopia. This area borders Sudan and is undeniably remote, even by Ethiopian standards. The wild forests here are also widely considered the original birthplace of coffee itself. For the last 3 years, we have bought coffee from a single farm in this area called the Biftu Plantation. Owned by a man named Gashaw Kinfe Desta, this farm has slowly increased both production and quality over the last several years, to the point that it now has a loyal following among some of our buyers. Indeed, a few of you have met Gashaw, as he spends some of the year here in Oakland. An unassuming and very hardworking guy, Gashaw purchased the land from the Ethiopian government about 5 years ago. In 2007, a USAID project helped to build a primary school called Lingo  right near his farm, and the children of many of the workers began to attend. However, in a scene all too familiar in the coffee producing world, after only two years the funding dried up and USAID disappeared. Seeing the value of the school, Gashaw took it upon himself to reopen it. He rehired the teachers and purchased supplies using money from his own pocket. The Lingo school remains open today, but the conditions and supplies are extremely basic. Indeed, there is only enough money for three grade levels, and the children sit on dirt floors to learn. When our arrival of Gashaw’s coffee comes in this year (RC#24685, arriving Oakland 5/27), we are going to donate 10 cents per pound from all the sales to a fund we are setting up, which Gashaw will manage. Royal Coffee will match the dollar amount as well. This fund will allow the Lingo school to markedly improve the conditions at the school, to hire more teachers, and to add several grade levels. While it is only one school, in one tiny community, in one region of one country, the impact will be immediate and tangible. As we did with the Grounds for Health auction, we encourage any buyers of this coffee to hold their own fundraisers as well. In this way, we may be able to multiply the effects. If you have any more questions about the coffee or how to get involved, please give us a call or email max@royalcoffee.com.
|
