Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Coffee is Not Enough

A recent article in Time Magazine looked at Fair Trade and some of the problems coffee farmers are experiencing (Fair Trade: What Price for Good Coffee?). Rick Peyser of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, who serves on our board, is interviewed in the piece.

It all seems to come back to, ‘coffee is not enough.’ In many of these communities, there is such a heavy dependence on the crop that families can never afford to get ahead.

Fair trade is great tool to build consumer awareness of the problems farmers face and provide a more just price, but in order for the farmers and their families to improve their quality of life they need alternatives to coffee.

More than anything, coffee-farming families need help diversifying local economies, and expanding educational opportunities and access to health care.

The article perfectly illustrates the importance of Coffee Kids’ efforts. We help coffee-farming families create programs in health awareness, education and training, microcredit and economic diversification, and food security. Each of the 25 projects our partners are managing this year (see a rundown here) meet a specific community need identified by people there.

Update: Coffee Kids Board Member Mona Blaber sent a letter to the editor. If you’re interested, be sure you send one as well and let them know that Coffee Kids is working to confront the problem.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Babies, Widows, Bread and More: A Busy Visit to Guate

September 7-13, 2009, Program Director Jose Luis Zarate and International Program Coordinator Jose Carlos Leon visited Coffee Kids’ partners APROS and ADESPA in Guatemala.

Our first stop was in San Pedro La Laguna, on the shores of Lake Atitlan, where APROS trains local health promoters who teach women in their communities pre- and post-natal care, the use of medicinal plants and the importance of a nutritious diet. APROS Widow’s Project offers medical check-ups, basic food supplies, recreational activities, and a sense of belonging for women who have lost their husbands to migration or civil war.

We visited the towns of San Pedro La Laguna, Tzununa and San Pablo La Laguna, where we met with the widows and attended health sessions. Micaela Chavajay, Rosalia Rocche and Maria del Carmen Chavajay, staff at APROS, stressed the importance of these projects in a region where malnutrition is high and medical care is almost nonexistent.

On the second half of our journey, we met with Anabella Meneses, director of ADESPA. Anabella introduced us to participants in four projects managed by ADESPA in Acatenango, Paraxaj and the surrounding villages.

The Adult Literacy Project has been improved to cater to adults who cannot attend regular classes due to work. Radio broadcasts and workbooks are used so that adults can complete learn in the comfort of their own homes. ADESPA’s Bakery Project now employs two fulltime bakers (who were participants in the Literacy Project) who produce fresh bread for the town. The Health Project promotes homeopathic remedies for common ailments. A shoemaker is training women in the Handicrafts Project to make fashionable shoes and sandals.

Meeting with the participants in their workspaces helped us understand the importance of economic diversity to overcome the economic dependence on coffee production. These projects have given women and men a sense of leadership and the motivation to improve their lives.

Check out photos from the trip at our Flickr page. And, as always, Coffee Kids is a donor-supported nonprofit, please give generously!

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Featured Donor: Van Houtte

The Featured Donor of the Month blog entry misstated important facts about Van Houtte. Coffee Kids apologizes for the following errors:

• Van Houtte, Inc., based in Montreal, is Canada’s leading gourmet coffee roaster and the largest Coffee Services network in North America. The blog entry implied that Van Houtte is solely based in Canada.
• McMaster University is opening a café that will feature Van Houtte’s Blends for Hope collection. The blog entry stated that Van Houtte was opening the café.

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(Updated: Sept. 9, 2009) – Van Houtte, based in Montreal, is Canada’s leading gourmet coffee roaster and the largest Coffee Services network in North America. For over ten years, Van Houtte has been one of Coffee Kids’ largest donors contributing a portion of all sales. Their products are available throughout North America and on the Web.

At Van Houtte, sustainability is not just a buzzword to market their coffee. Sustainability is a commitment, permeating all of their activities. Eighteen months ago, the company launched a multi-faceted sustainability initiative called “Committed to Caring,” which includes the “Blends for Hope” program.

“Blends for Hope” provides customers with a choice of many coffee blends, each linked to organizations Van Houtte supports. The blends include information about Coffee Kids and other nonprofits.

In September, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario will open a LEED certified café featuring Van Houtte products. Videos, wallpaper and stickers will put Van Houtte’s support of Coffee Kids on display.

Van Houtte is also working to “green” its activities and become a better corporate citizen. Working with the consulting firm Deloitte, Van Houtte is analyzing all levels of their company to find ways to improve their sustainability. They plan to initiate new strategies including optimizing energy use at roasting facilities. Supporting coffee-farming families in the pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle is an important part of these efforts.

“By supporting Coffee Kids, we not only help communities develop a more stable local economy and enhance their standard of living, we help them develop the means that they need to keep growing quality coffee,” said Marie-Claude Dessureault, director of brewing technologies.

Coffee Kids appreciates Van Houtte for their unwavering support.

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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hunger in Guatemala

A number of articles have come out recently on the food shortages and malnutrition affecting Guatemala (“Malnutrition in Guatemala: A National Shame,” The Economist; and “Mueren de hambre in Guatemala,” BBC Mundo en Español). While serving there in the Peace Corps, I knew malnutrition was a problem, but I never realized how serious it was. According to Unicef, almost half of the children in Guatemala are chronically malnourished. In some rural communities, child malnutrition reaches 80%.

And now, thanks to the global recession, higher food prices and reduced remittances coming from family members working in other countries, millions are at risk. Coffee Kids’ partners in Guatemala understand the problem and are managing a variety of projects to help increase food security and economic independence in their communities, but they need your help.

Check out more information on our partners in Guatemala on our program page and learn how you can donate to Coffee Kids and help.

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