Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Featured Project: Traditional Medicine Project in Honduras

We have a new project this year in Honduras that both recovers lost traditional-medicine knowledge and provides community members with the medical attention they need.

Partner: The Coordinating Association of Rural Women of La Paz (COMUCAP)
New Partner in 2011
Project Area: Health Awareness
Location: Honduras
Participants: 257 women from 16 communities

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. COMUCAP contributes to the social, economic, political and cultural development of its members by encouraging their participation in all of the decision-making processes in their communities as well as by providing opportunities to develop their technical, financial and political skills.

The Lenca is the largest indigenous group in Honduras, and most live in the department of La Paz. They have undergone a deep transformation since the Spanish conquest. Although they have undergone acculturation, they have been able to retain many pre-Columbian traditions. Despite this, they have unfortunately lost their native language and their cultural relationship with the land. An example of this is the lack of knowledge of local plants for medicinal purposes.

The most common type of ailments in La Paz are acute respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal disorders. The high cost of medicine, the loss of medicinal plant knowledge, and the lack of basic health services have led to an increase in both respiratory disease and gastrointestinal disorders.

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.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Joe’s Challenge!

A guest blog by Joe Behm, owner of Behmor, Inc.

Opportunity.

An interesting word. Those with the means to read this, likely, have had endless opportunities – albeit, some more than others. Not only have I been blessed with having the opportunity in life to passionately enjoy two separate careers, one in electronics and now coffee, I’ve also been blessed with opportunities to overcome missteps in life. This is why every time I arrive back in the USA, I’m actually excited because of the opportunity afforded me, despite my missteps (and I also get to see my wife.. a double win in my book).

All of which is my point.

Traveling as much as I do, especially to El Salvador and other coffee regions, I’m constantly reminded there are those, such as the children and families of coffee workers, who do not have the endless opportunities we enjoy. As such, I’m dedicated to the idea that we who do have opportunities should take the opportunity to provide what may be just one opportunity to others less fortunate than ourselves.

The cross-country bike ride benefiting Coffee Kids, CycleAmerica2011, is a prime example of how that can be done.

I’m proud, as a person in a position to help, to assist in providing a young girl or boy an opportunity to expand their knowledge and reach or a family the opportunity to improve their quality of life.

Those reading this can share in providing an opportunity.

Thus my challenge to you.

CycleAmerica2011 is a 3000 mile ride across the USA. As such, Behmor Inc. will donate $.25 per mile for each of the two riders. This amounts to a total of $.50 per mile.

The challenge to all here is to give what you can, be it $.25, $.10, $ .05 a mile or even just a penny. It all adds up, because in the end, the total sum means an opportunity for a child, for a family, for a community. These opportunities go on to create other opportunities, and thus Coffee Kids is able to positively impact the lives and livelihoods of the families with whom they work.

Thanks to everyone for their past support of Coffee Kids, and I wish all those here the best in their pursuit of opportunity.

Coffee Kids invites you to meet Joe’s challenge!
Please contact if you would like to join CycleAmerica2011 in their journey to raise £10,000 for coffee farmers and their families!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Featured Donor: Industry Magazines

We want to thank several donors this month who support Coffee Kids in a very important way: through donating advertising space.

As a small nonprofit organization, we cannot afford to pay for advertising. That’s why we depend on the support from media sources to help us get the word out either through donating ad space or running Coffee Kids stories.

Fresh Cup has generously donated ad space, as has Barista, Tea and Coffee, Roast, Coffee and Cocoa International and Coffee Talk.

We want to thank them for their generosity and encourage you to do so as well. Let them know that it’s important to you to choose magazines that support coffee-growing farmers.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

So what does Coffee Kids do… exactly?

At Coffee Kids, we’re often asked, but what do you do, exactly? It recently occurred to me that perhaps the best way to get a feel for exactly what we do, is by taking a look at a few of the projects we have going on in coffee-growing communities throughout Latin America.

It’s important to point out that Coffee Kids doesn’t actually carry out these projects. A cooperative or NGO at origin contacts Coffee Kids with a project idea. Once that project is accepted and approved, Coffee Kids funds it. Those funds come from people like you and businesses like your neighborhood coffee shop. (If that’s not the case, you should head over to said coffee shop and ask them why they don’t support Coffee Kids.)

Coffee Kids’ support doesn’t stop there. We continue working with communities through site visits, evaluations and constant communication. We want these projects to become sustainable and do what it takes to support them in that process.

Here is just one of 19 projects that we have going on this year. Be on the lookout for a few more featured projects in the coming weeks to get a better feel for how Coffee Kids is making an impact at origin.

Partner: ASER MAIZ
Partner since: 2010
Project Area: Food security and health awareness
Location: Veracruz, Mexico
Participants: 700 individuals from 8 communities

The Advice and Rural Services Center (ASER MAIZ) promotes community development by improving economic, social and political conditions within several communities in Veracruz, Mexico.

Founded in 1996, the organization was created as a response to the crisis that affected rural areas in Mexico after the signing of NAFTA, which reduced government spending in the countryside. ASER MAIZ seeks to train rural families in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food security, development and organizational skills and help them to more effectively demand public services from the government.

In the northern region of Veracruz, rural communities often suffer from easily treatable illnesses due to extremely limited access to health services, nutritious food and to adequate shelter. Even where services are available, such as in rural health clinics, medicines are scarce, and people can barely afford them.

Staple foods, such as corn and beans, have suffered low yields in recent years due to diseased crops. Community members are often vulnerable to the ever-changing climate patterns that can damage and even destroy their food crops.

Other factors, such as low-paying jobs and a high unemployment rate, have considerably weakened the local economy. This keeps families from buying nutritious food, which is often more expensive, making it harder for them to maintain a healthy diet, which leads to illnesses for which the families cannot afford medicine. The end result is a vicious cycle that’s hard for families to break.

This integral health project will promote the use of traditional and preventive medicinal knowledge to reduce the number of curable diseases among the population. In addition, this project will diversify the production and consumption of food by training participants to take advantage of high-yield crops and promoting the recovery of lost local crops. At the same time, it will introduce beekeeping as an alternative source of income and as a dietary supplement.

Friday, July 01, 2011

Sign up to support coffee farmers!

We want to invite you to get involved in an upcoming Coffee Kids fundraiser.

Steven Prime and Dayle Walker — two lads from Coventry, England — will be bicycling across the US this July and August to raise money for Coffee Kids. They have a really ambitious target — £10,000 GBP! We want to do everything we can to help them achieve that, and we suspect you will, too.

To find out more about the cyclists’ route and schedule, visit the CycleAmerica2011 site.

If you aren’t able to participate by doing one of the activities listed below, consider making a donation over at CrowdRise.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

PUR PUR Premium Water Supports Coffee Kids

AQUA RÖMER is pleased to support Coffee Kids through the sale of PUR PUR, their new line of bottled water created especially for brewing coffee.

The concentration of minerals in PUR PUR is ideal for developing coffee flavour and brings out the best taste and aroma of various types of coffee, regardless of how they are prepared.

PUR PUR is the only brand of bottled water that will be sold at SCAE. For every bottle sold, .50 Euro will go to Coffee Kids. Bottles will be available for purchase in the catering area and at the AQUA Römer stand.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Astoria, Coffee Kids, and SCAE Netherlands Host Drinks, Delicacies and Dancing at the Dominikaner

Coffee Kids, Astoria and SCAE Netherlands are pleased to announce their collaboration in organising Drinks, Delicacies and Dancing at the Dominikaner, to be held Wednesday, June 22nd, following the opening of this year’s SCAE World of Coffee in Maastricht.

The reception will kick off a fantastic series of events organised by SCAE Netherlands in conjunction with this year’s World of Coffee show. In addition to drinks and nibbles, the event will feature a brief presentation on Coffee Kids programmes at coffee origin, an address by Astoria, one of Coffee Kids’ largest sponsoring partners, and the potential for lots of coffee fun.

“Astoria has been a supporter of Coffee since 2006, and since that time they have contributed over $45,000 to Coffee Kids projects. Their commitment to sustainability in the environment and at coffee origin is something that resonates with the Coffee Kids message, and we are very proud of our relationship with them and appreciative of their continued support,” says Carolyn Fairman, executive director of Coffee Kids. “Additionally, the support that SCAE Netherlands has shown in organising this event, in addition to the effort they have shown in directing funds to Coffee Kids, is invaluable.”

Event sponsors, Astoria, have said, “We are proud and excited to inform the coffee community that once again this year it will be presenting to Coffee Kids proceeds from the sale of its flagship machine, Plus4You.” This year the donation – which will be more substantial than ever before – will be presented at the event. “We look forward to meeting all our friends for a bite and a drink on this occasion, and to maximize support for our fantastic humanitarian cause,” commented a representative from Astoria.

The Astoria Plus 4 coffee machine will be presented front and centre at the event, and guests will be invited to pour perfect rosettas as they mingle.

The Dutch Chapter of the SCAE are central to this year’s event, which is just one of many organised as part of the World of Coffee Maastricht event. “We are very excited to work with Coffee Kids. It’s a great initiative to improve the Coffee World from the base. Let’s hope we can raise a lot of money for them and we’ll have a lot of fun doing that” says Annemarie Tiemes, coordinator of the Dutch chapter.

Special thanks are also extended to Vojacek Wijnen, Single Estate Coffee, and Gulpener, who’s contributions will make the event possible.

Tickets to the event will be sold for 10 Euro for three hours of free drinks and nibbles. They are available online through http://www.scae-events.com and in Maastricht at the SCAE stand or at Coffee Kids’ stand during the show. Last tickets will be sold at the Barista-Embassy next to the Dominikaner.

What: Drinks, Delicacies and Dancing at the Dominikane
Where: Selexyz Dominicanen, Dominikanerkerkstraat , CZ 6211 Maastricht
When: Wednesday, June 22nd, 2100-2400

For more information, please contact Elisa Kelly at .

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Cyclists take on 30-day fundraising challenge

Dedicated cyclist and fundraiser Steven Prime is preparing to bike across the US for coffee-farming families in Latin America.

On July 25, he and his friend Dayle Walker will bike 3,000 miles in just 30 days.

Beginning their journey in Surf City, North Carolina, they will cross 11 states to arrive in Santa Monica, California, on August 23.

The cyclists will donate all funds raised to Coffee Kids, a development organization dedicated to working with coffee-farming families to improve their lives and livelihoods through projects in food security, health care, education, capacity building and economic diversification. As a franchise owner of Esquires Coffee Houses, Steven has been a long-time supporter of Coffee Kids.

Commenting on the journey, Steven said:

“I’m so excited about the trip. Once you’ve been bitten by the charity bug you can’t help but look forward to new fundraising opportunities and I’m so glad to be taking on this new challenge with one of my oldest and closest friends.

“Not only will Cycle America push me personally, but it will also help to raise awareness and funds for a cause I really believe in. Coffee is obviously a big part of my life and helping to create a sustainable future for coffee-growing families and communities is very important to me.”

Elisa Kelly, development liaison at Coffee Kids, added:

“We are so impressed and touched that Steven and Dayle have chosen to embark upon this epic journey in order to raise funds for Coffee Kids.

“Biking across the entire United States – and in the mid-summer months of July and August, no less – is no small feat. By volunteering to challenge themselves in this way, they will be challenging not only their minds and bodies but also challenging those who cheer them on to think about the hardships that coffee farmers endure as they struggle to achieve well-being for their families and communities.

“It’s also fantastic to see that our long-running relationship with Esquires Coffee Houses, one of our largest UK supporters, can feed into more personal expressions of solidarity with coffee-farming families such as this. Coffee Kids supporters like Esquires, Steven, and Dayle are crucial to making sure we can ensure a future for coffee and for those who produce it, too.”

Further information is available on the website www.cycleamerica2011.com.
You can participate in Steven Prime’s fundraiser at www.crowdrise.com/cycleamerica2011

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Good coffee for a good cause

On June 21, 2011, Santa Felisa Estate will host its first-ever online organic coffee auction. You will have the opportunity to try high-quality, organically grown coffee, while also giving back to coffee-farming communities. Three percent of profits will go to Coffee Kids and the Association for the Development of Paraxaj (ADESPA).

ADESPA, founded in 2004, works with families in Paraxaj, Guatemala and the surrounding area. Their goal is to improve socio-economic conditions by addressing a lack of health care and educational services. ADESPA’s health workshops address pre- and post-natal care for pregnant women, as well as promote herbal remedies for common ailments. The daycare center Las Nubes provides a safe space for children and promotes early childhood development so that parents can better support their families. ADESPA also sponsors shoe and textile workshops and a bakery, which support coffee-farming women and their families in Acatenango, Guatemala.

To register for the auction, please visit auction.stoneworks.com
To learn more about the Santa Felisa Estate, please visit www.santafelisacoffee.com
You can see recent photos of ADESPA projects over at Flickr.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Coffee Kids and Matthew Algie Host Barista Madness Competition

Following last year’s successful (and very fun) Barista Knockout competition, Coffee Kids is teaming up with Matthew Algie, the UK’s leading independent coffee roaster, to host a similar event on Wednesday, 18th May. Some of the industry’s best baristas will go head to head and put their latte art to the test. The event will help to generate funds to support Coffee Kids projects at origin.

The event will be held at the Hand & Flower pub across from this year’s Caffe Culture exhibition which is being staged at London’s Olympia, from 18 –19th May. Caffe Culture is the UK’s most focussed exhibition for the café and coffee bar market.

The Barista Madness competition will put some of the most renowned baristas in the UK against one another in a lively latte art competition. A panel of esteemed judges will decide who takes the crown and wins the priceless trophy of 2011 champion. This year, the event will include a wheel of fortune, which will present the baristas with some extra challenges, such as pour a perfect rosetta in front of their peers.

Carolyn Fairman, Executive Director of Coffee Kids, said:

“Matthew Algie has supported Coffee Kids since 2001 and during that time they have donated over $200,000 to Coffee Kids programmes. They set the standard for a company that recognises its connection to origin and cares about the livelihood of coffee-growing families and the environment, which is the heart of the coffee industry.”

Gary Nicol, Chief Executive of Matthew Algie, added:

“As long-term supporters of Coffee Kids, we continue to be impressed with their work with local partners supporting coffee communities in the widest sense. Coffee Kids’ work is particularly strong on education, health awareness and helping women in coffee-producing communities to empower themselves. The Barista Madness competition is a fun way to celebrate and promote Coffee Kids’ great work”.

The evening reception will include:

•A Barista Madness latte art competition, featuring previous World Barista Championship winner, Gwilym Davies, and other barista maestros!

•A showing of a short film celebrating one of Coffee Kids’ amazing partner organisations, AUGE (Self-managed Development). Based in the state of Veracruz, Mexico AUGE works with coffee-growing communities to develop programmes that combat poverty in some of Mexico’s poorest communities.

•A raffle with fantastic coffee hardware, vouchers and gifts donated from a variety of companies exhibiting at the Caffe Culture exhibition.

If you are interested in coming along to the event on Wednesday 18th May, tickets are available from Coffee Kids (), or at the Matthew Algie Exhibition Stand.