Traveling into the region of Cauca is an adventure. The landscape is beautiful and from the plane, the view of the green jungles beckon to me through the minuscule window, teasing my heart with what lies ahead. While the Colombian people of this region are warm and inviting, political circumstances and unsettled terrain battles have dealt them a hand of cards that still leaves significant [...]
I recently wrote about my time at the Hingakawa co-op, a female-owned and operated coffee initiative that has brought opportunity and restoration to a community devastated by violence and war in the 1990's. Part of what makes the chance to work with these women so special is that they are innovators, they are survivors, and they are hard workers. When we get to know our partner farmers, we [...]
As I sat in the restaurant surrounded by green and yellow painted concrete walls, I was hit by this wave of feeling. It was a combination of excitement and optimism. I had the pleasure of eating with Corette Nakabonye, the 61-yr-old female president of the Hingakawa coffee cooperative. Her coffee story and that of Hingakawa is not a simple one, but it is certainly a [...]
