WHAT WE DO:
Agricultural Development
OUR GOAL: to reduce hunger and poverty for hundreds of farming families in Asia by increasing agriculture in a sustainable way and bringing greater access to markets.
The Problem:
Twenty years ago the residents of Ban Khanadnony, a small mountain village in southeast Asia, were encouraged to start growing coffee. Villagers were told that coffee was a valuable cash crop and they could make good money selling coffee to buyers from the city. So, dreaming of desperately needed economic stability, villagers began to grow coffee. Sadly, the promised buyers never materialized. Problems like poor country infrastructure and the remote location scared most buyers away. Occasionally villagers were able to sell a small amount of coffee beans at about a quarter of the market value. Sometimes buyers would express interest and villagers would diligently harvest the coffee only to be disappointed when the buyers never turned up. Eventually, most families gave up on coffee and returned to rice, scraping by on paltry earnings.
The Plan:
Several years ago consultants, Joe and Perry, conducted a survey of villages in this poor mountainous region. When they stumbled upon long forgotten coffee gardens they didn’t see failure; they saw a great opportunity. Joe and Perry believe that specialty coffee can make a comeback in this impoverished region. They have demonstrated their commitment to this community by signing contracts with the government that guarantee villagers a fair market price for coffee beans. They are so committed they have even built their headquarters within the village limits. They want to foster confidence by proving they are committed to staying in this location. The headquarters will also provide some additional income to villagers as Joe and Perry are renting property from a local family and have hired some locals to work in the facility. Nearly all of the residents of Ban Khanadnony live well below the poverty level. Selling coffee at a fair price will mean a huge income boost to these people. This opportunity will allow villagers to pay for essentials such as medicine, tools, and education for their children.
The Promise:
Joe and Perry have spent countless hours training villagers how to properly care for their coffee plants, harvest the ripest cherries, and dry the beans in optimal conditions. They plan to revive old coffee farms in this village and then develop new farms in neighboring villages. Their goal is to break the cycle of poverty by purchasing coffee beans at a fair price and educating farmers on how to grow better beans. Eventually, villagers will be able to sell an improved product as they learn to cultivate even better coffee. As part of their commitment to social entrepreneurship Joe and Perry are hoping to raise nearly $10,000 in order to improve and expand upon existing facilities. They would love to develop a coffee tree nursery, invest in quality drying racks, build a water tank for water storage, and build a sample roaster in the village for quality control purposes. If you would like to be a part of changing the lives of the people of Ban Khanadnony please visit our giving page. Mark donations for the “Coffee Project.”
