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programs
The projects Coffee Kids sponsors are as unique as the communities where they are based. That’s because Coffee Kids helps communities develop their own programs creating self-sufficiency and ownership that afford coffee-farming families a higher quality of life while still working in coffee. (Click the map at right to view a larger version.)
Coffee Kids supports 19 projects with 16 partners in 5 coffee-growing countries. Click on a country below to jump down the page and read about our partners’ efforts.
Peru – Nicaragua – Guatemala – Mexico – Honduras
Peru
APROCASSI (San Ignacio Provincial Association of Coffee Producers in Solidarity)
San Ignacio, Peru
Microcredit for Education
APROCASSI was founded in 2000 and comprises 491 small-scale coffee producers in the provinces of Jaen and San Ignacio in Northern Peru. The organization promotes gender equity, solidarity and respect for the environment in all of its activities.
APROVAT (The Tabaconas Valley Organic Producers Association)
San Ignacio, PeruWomen’s Microcredit Initiative
APROVAT was founded in 1997 in San Ignacio Cajamarca, Peru. The organization comprises 160 coffee producers who work to develop the local economy while simultaneously protecting the delicate environment of the remote Tabaconas Valley.
In the district of Tabaconas, women have very limited access to lines of credit through the formal market either because they lack the capital, the process to obtain credit is extremely bureaucratic and time consuming, or they lack the knowledge to manage a credit or savings account. The current economic climate and the lack of access to low-interest credit limit women’s ability to engage in enterprising activities. By strengthening the economic capacity of women and implementing a microcredit program in the district of Tabaconas, women will be able to contribute to the household income, as well as collaborate more with other women in the community, thereby strengthening bonds, generating ideas and increasing the opportunity to learn from one another.
Nicaragua
CECOCAFEN (Organization of Northern Coffee Cooperatives)
Matagalpa, Jinotega and Nueva Segovia, NicaraguaCommunity Microcredit and Savings, and Community Leadership Scholarships – Coffee Kids partner since 1998
CECOCAFEN Case Study (PDF; 136 KB)
Look at CECOCAFEN photos on Flickr
CECOCAFEN, an association of coffee cooperatives representing more than 2,000 farmers in Nicaragua, manages two projects modeled on other Coffee Kids efforts. The Groups of Women Saving in Solidarity (GMAS) project supports microcredit and savings groups for women. Participants learn about financial literacy and gain access to small low-interest loans, which they invest in small businesses to strengthen the local economy.
The organization’s Community Leadership Scholarship program provides scholarships to high school, vocational and university students. The project also offers work-study opportunities in their local cooperatives. By giving participants the opportunity to earn work experience, the project increases their chances for future employment and cooperatives benefit from an educated workforce.
SOPPEXCCA (Society of Small Producers for Coffee Export)
Jinotega, NicaraguaYouth Development Scholarships – Coffee Kids partner since 2007
SOPPEXCCA Case Study (PDF; 144 KB)
Look at SOPPEXCCA photos on Flickr
SOPPEXCCA, an association of coffee cooperatives representing 650 farmers, manages two projects for youth in coffee-growing communities of Nicaragua. The Environmental Youth Movement and Coffee Children Projects work with teenagers and children at rural schools to identify local environmental issues and carry out education campaigns.
SOPPEXCCA sees a great need to create opportunities for young people to meaningfully participate in their communities. The current scholarship program continues to provide opportunities to young people and nurture future leaders by making available high-school and technical scholarships to students from coffee-producing communities. This project will also provide students with the training and money necessary to start their own microbusiness while going to school.
Guatemala
ACMUV (Chajulense Association of Women United for Life)
Chajul, GuatemalaWomen’s Business-Skills Training – Coffee Kids partner since Fall 2007
ACMUV Case Study (PDF; 144 KB)
Look at ACMUV photos on Flickr
The Chajulense Association of Women United for Life (ACMUV), based in the community of Chajul, Guatemala, was formed in 2008 by a group of women associated with the Chajulense Association (a Coffee Kids partner in 2007-2008), to provide women with economic alternatives and a more prominent voice in the community.
The Women’s Business-Skills Training project will offer workshops in administrative and entrepreneurial skill building, microinvestment and budgeting. There will be workshops in small-business planning as well.
ADESPA (Association for Sustainable Development of Paraxaj)
Aldea Paraxaj, GuatemalaAfter-School and Learning Center- Coffee Kids partner since 2006
ADESPA Case Study (PDF; 136 KB)
Look at ADESPA photos on Flickr
ADESPA, founded in 2004, works with families in Paraxaj, Guatemala and the surrounding area. Their goal is to improve socioeconomic conditions by addressing a lack of health care and educational services.
ADESPA’s learning center provides a safe place for children, daily meals and promotes early childhood development so that parents can support their families.
Mexico
AUGE (Self-Managed Development)
Veracruz, MexicoAdministrative Skills Building Initiative – Coffee Kids partner since 1995
AUGE Case Study (PDF; 176 KB)
Look at AUGE photos on Flickr
Based in the State of Veracruz, Mexico, (AUGE) works with coffee-growing communities to develop programs that combat poverty in some of the poorest areas of the state. Over the past 14 years, the Coffee Kids/AUGE partnership has promoted personal entrepreneurship through a microcredit and savings project called Groups of Women Saving in Solidarity (GMAS).
This year, AUGE will continue to develop and implement their successful projects in sexual health and gender equality, food security, women’s microcredit groups, citizenship building, youth projects and food production. In order to do so, the organization must strengthen their administrative and technological foundations. The initiative will provide technological training for staff and volunteers and will pay the part-time salaries of the organization’s directors, allowing them to focus on mid- to long-term strategic planning needs, leading to a sustainable future for AUGE.
CAMPO (Center of Support for the Popular Movement of Oaxaca)
Oaxaca, MexicoFood Security in Indigenous Communities – Coffee Kids partner since 1996
CAMPO Case Study (PDF; 152 KB)
Look at CAMPO photos on Flickr
CAMPO works with indigenous populations in Oaxaca, Mexico, to foster community involvement, sustainable agriculture, and an understanding of human rights. The organization supports projects including chicken-raising, organic honey production, worm-composting for organic family gardens, fruit and vegetable canning, and wood-saving stoves.
The Food Security in Indigenous Communities project will begin to bring a sense of balance and opportunity to rural families who have, over time, seen their options for fresh, locally produced food greatly diminished. The project will help create 15 new vegetable nurseries and introduce systems for the recycling of organic waste through the process of worm composting, demonstrating that locally produced food can provide benefits to the economy as well as the environment.
ICSUR (Association for Research and Training of Southeastern Mexico)
Chiapas, MexicoNutritional and Environmental Education – Coffee Kids partner since 2006
ICSUR Case Study (PDF; 144 KB)
Look at ICSUR photos on Flickr
The Southeast Association for Research and Training (ICSUR) is a nonprofit organization based in Chiapas, Mexico. The organization supports social and economic development in coffee-growing communities within the indigenous Zoque region.
The Nutritional and Environmental Education project furthers this mission by providing communities with the nutritional and environmental education necessary to ensure food security. The propagation of local heirloom vegetable varietals and medicinal plants is preserved through the establishment of demonstration gardens at various school sites. Food awareness will be further emphasized through workshops comparing the nutritional benefits of fresh, locally produced foods against the widely available industrial, processed varieties, highlighting techniques for preserving foods without the use of synthetic chemicals, and contributing to agroecology skill building and local economic development.
VIDA (The Organization for Agro-Ecological Development in Coffee)
Veracruz, MexicoFood Sovereignity Initiative – Coffee Kids partner since 2010
VIDA was founded in 2009 in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The mission of VIDA is to promote food sovereignty initiatives for families that live in rural areas. VIDA works closely with coffee-farming families and provides training that helps communities secure food while instilling respect for local varietals and culture.
The Food Production Diversification project will develop the capacity of up to 10 families from 5 communities to produce fresh, organic fruits and vegetables for local consumption. It will include an educational outreach component that will offer information regarding the nutritional value of fresh, local produce as compared to processed foods and advice on wise consumption and healthier eating practices. The project will also explore the environmental impact of organic versus commercially farmed foods.
UNOSJO (The Union of Organizations of the Sierra Juárez of Oaxaca)
Oaxaca, MexicoComprehensive Demonstrative Farm – New Coffee Kids partner
The Union of Organizations of the Sierra Juárez of Oaxaca (UNOSJO) was founded in 1992 out of the need of indigenous communities to have an entity that could effectively channel their demands for economic and social development in the region and also that would help them design and manage their own projects. UNOSJO implements projects in the areas of health, economic diversification, capacity building, and women and indigenous rights as a means to strengthen the social capital in the area.
The Comprehensive Demonstration Farm will train a minimum of 23 families from the region in agroecological practices relating to vegetable cultivation and resource management. The project also seeks to generate income through the production of vegetables and the rearing of small farm animals on a demonstration farm. UNOSJO has acquired a location with sufficient space for the construction of the farm. Here, they will also build large concrete tanks for rainwater harvesting, which will then be used in crop irrigation.
The December 5th Coffee Farmers Network (Red de cafeticultores 5 de diciembre)
Oaxaca, MexicoWorm Composting and Gardening – Coffee Kids partner since 2010
The December 5 Coffee Farmers Network (Red de Cafeticultores 5 de Diciembre) is a network of eight coffee-producing organizations founded in 2006 in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The organization’s goals are to foster sustainable development practices and produce and commercialize coffee, while respecting the communities’ democratic principles and natural resources. Since its inception, Red 5 has supported coffee-producing families through capacity building to improve productivity and also through the diversification of economic alternatives as a means of achieving sustainable development.
The Worm Composting and Gardening project will take advantage of organic waste resulting from the milling of coffee, animal waste and domestic organic refuse. By processing these organic wastes through worm composting, a high-quality, nutritional, organic compost will be produced. This compost will then be used in the organic cultivation of food and other crops.
ASER MAIZ (Advice and Rural Services Center)
Veracruz, MexicoParticipative Integrated Health and Food Security – New Coffee Kids partner
Advice Center and Rural Services (ASER MAIZ) promotes community development by improving the economic, social and political conditions within various communities. Founded in 1996 in Veracruz, Mexico, the organization was born out of the crisis that affected rural areas in Mexico after the signing of NAFTA, which reduced government expenditure in the countryside. ASER MAIZ seeks to build the capacities of rural families in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food security, self-managed development and organizational skills and help them to more effectively demand public services from the government.
The Participative Integrated Health project will enable rural communities to improve their access to local health care and information regarding the sustainable cultivation of food crops. The project will take advantage of local knowledge regarding medicinal plants in order to ameliorate lack of services and will address issues of food security through supporting the cultivation of native species, which are better adapted and resistant to disease and blight.
TCPI (Everything as Indigenous People)
Oaxaca, Mexico_Community Participation in Food Security – New Coffee Kids partner in 2011
Everything as Indigenous People (TCPI) is an organization founded in 2008 and rooted in the coffee-growing community of Nuevo Progreso in the municipality of San Juan Colorado, Oaxaca. TCPI promotes community initiatives that bring about social, political, environmental and cultural transformation in the region. This project will strengthen the subsistence farming systems of 100 families in the community. By improving agroecological practices, the participants will increase their food production and recuperate the soil’s fertility, protecting it from further erosion. The project includes a series of workshops that teach coffee farmers how to secure alternative sources of income through the cultivation of additional crops and the diversification of their productive activities.
Honduras
COMUCAP (The Coordinating Association of Rural Women of La Paz)
Marcala, La Paz, HondurasRecovery of Traditional Medicinal Knowledge – New Coffee Kids partner in 2011
The Coordinating Association of Rural Women of La Paz (COMUCAP) is an organization made up of 256 Lenca women farmers from 4 municipalities in the La Paz department in Honduras. COMUCAP was founded in 1993 with the aim of raising awareness of women’s rights, as well as supporting the marketing of their products.
This project will train 257 women from 16 communities in the Marcala, La Paz region of Honduras in the importance and use of medicinal plants. Women will learn to prepare and use 150 different remedies. Thirty-two community representatives will become health promoters at the end of the workshop and will spread their knowledge of traditional remedies throughout their communities.