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Women in the world of Coffee

If you haven't any generosity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble - by Rebeca Valle Anfossi

3/27/2015

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Rebeca enjoying a delicious lunch
Travelling through rugged terrain
Searching for those perfect coffee beans
I arrived just in time…the bus was about to leave. My friend, barista and maestro Tito was waiting for me and we planned to leave towards Jaén, a province of Cajamarca in northern Peru. Our goal? To find coffee that would represent us in the national barista championship.

The scenery was beautiful; green cliffs, wild nature and wonderful, very hospitable people.

We waited for the representatives of the cooperative CENFROCAFE, which had been contacted by our boss David Torres. They led us to the farm of Mr. Amaru, who would guide us while looking for the "ideal” coffee for our competition. During the days of our stay, Mr. Amaru and his family welcomed us like royalty; they shared everything they could give us. There was no malice in their minds and hearts, only good spirits to help strangers in the search for their goal. We shared lunch with delicious vegetables from their farm, chicken for soup and fresh eggs. They made room for us to spend the night. Mr. Amaru and his family showed us how the coffee harvesting and processing was done, without losing their patience with us.

We followed the recommendation of Mr. Amaru: go to the area known as “El Corazón” where some producers had already begun to harvest. It was an emotional farewell: Mr. Amaru’s family had welcomed us so generously - as if we were members of his own family.

I was sitting in an almost empty room, which had chairs that would soon be occupied by members and producers of the area of “El Corazón”. I must confess, I was a bit scared and I do not know why. Suddenly, the distance from home, seeing so many strangers around me, the lack of technology…it all was a bit too much. There we discussed about our need to find some good beans, which we would use to participate in the barista competition. I noticed that they were a bit suspicious, but one of the producers prevailed and ran to his house to bring us some of their harvested beans. He offered to take us to his farm to show us his harvest.

Don Luis Chingel arrived with transportation. We immediately boarded the truck and we headed towards the farm. The terrain was rugged and the "road" was very steep. At one point we had to get out of our truck and walk. I felt my heart leap from my mouth many a time. After knowing the area, which was beautiful,  and talking with Don Luis, we returned to the square of” El Corazón" where Luis Chingel gave us some kilos of his green coffee beans for us to test. Now, we were ready to return to the capital.

Returning to Lima, I remembered all the generous people who had helped us along our journey: Mr. Amaru and his family, Don Luis Chingel, the people of "El Corazón". They all acted in an unselfish manner, so detached, it made me reflect upon how we act with our neighbors. We should learn from these beautiful people and take example of their effortless generosity ... being generous, after all,  is an act of love.


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You CAN make a difference in this world: don’t listen to those people who are scared to try and especially not to those who are scared you will succeed - by Raquel Santos Soares Menezes

3/20/2015

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No one can do it by themselves: Marisa and her family
Marisa on her coffee farm
Marisa getting a tan while working with her coffee beans

When Marisa Contreras says that coffee is the best business in the world, she just not truly believes this, but persuades all who are listening that she is indeed speaking the truth!

There have been few moments in my life that I’ve seen someone as charismatic and enthusiastic as the coffee grower Marisa Contreras, a Brazilian from Areado, south of Minas Gerais. She graduated in pharmacology and left the drugstore chain of her family to fully dedicate - body and soul - to coffee. In her speeches and lectures, which Marisa does as a volunteer from IWCA-Brazil, she gets smiles and gasps from her audiences. But what do Marisa and her stories have that is so special that can cause people to be moved and make something significant in their lives in the sense of coffee?

First of all, it’s about her simplicity. When she refers to coffee, Marisa uses the universal language that everybody can understand: the language of the heart. In a funny manner, she reports how to dedicate energy and passion to the most important and trivial tasks of coffee labor. For instance, she usually says that she likes to turn the drying coffee beans on the patio herself because it’s the best way to get a tan, as if had gone to the beach!

Second, Marisa involves everybody by showing the entrepreneurship in practice. Passion and innovation walk side by side every day on a coffee farm: a focused view on the market opportunities, the sincere commitment to quality and actions for environmental and social sustainability are also visible. In the coffee shop “Café da Roça”, located on the farm, Marisa sells her roasted and ground coffee. There is also the possibility to buy things made by other women of the local communities, like handicrafts and typical sweets. This shows that she is a woman that is trying to do the best for herself as well as changing the lives of other women. The visitors who go to the Capoeira Farm can take a tour in order to know the process of coffee: from seed to cup. Another example of Marisa’s entrepreneurship that promotes agritourism is the “Coffee Route”. Due to these initiatives, Fazenda Capoeira Coffee and Marisa Contreras have been recognized and prized in national and international contests.

The third component of Marisa’s success is her tireless search for knowledge. And she has been doing this in two ways: firstly, with formal education that allowed her to meet the excellence level of coffee production and trade, and the management of her farm. The second way is by her network. Her ability to get close to people and inspire confidence is the basis of relationships built with suppliers, consumers, employers and all others agents of the coffee supply chain. This attitude has enable Marisa to have access to a consistent knowledgeable database.

Summarizing, with these three elements - simplicity, entrepreneurship and knowledge - Marisa Contreras has been responsible of motivating many people in the Brazilian coffee sector. Not just women - but mainly – who for sure identify themselves with the shine of Marisa’s eyes: that shine that is typical of people who love what they do. And to us wom-en, there isn’t anything better than to love to take action and fight for what we believe in.

May there be more “Marisas" who can bring this drive to the world of coffee!

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Have patience with yourself. Learn to be still and trust – by Kattia Barrantes

3/13/2015

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Immagine

Kattia patiently doing what she loves.

Personally, it has been very hard to be patient.  I have learned and understood that only through hardship, spiritual growth, and patience can obstacles and difficulties be overcome.  Without patience it is easy to fall into the abyss of anxiety, which generates more worries, stress, a chain of illnesses, and - in many cases - even accelerated death.

Now more than ever, when I decided to take the risk to plunge into the entrepreneurial world with my own business, leaving behind a stable job, I have realized that without calmness and patience, the path tends to be gloomy and dark.  One must accept that things will not happen when expected or wanted.  It is easier to run away when things do not turn out right, but time teaches us in the school of life that only with discipline, perseverance, and faith, the sun will gradually shine on our paths.  Thanks to patience, one understands that objectives and achievements are only reached when their time comes: not before, not after.  That is how we observe and value the colors that arise, a few but magnificent, in that dark path full of unanswered questions.  Those colors are indicators of our good efforts, yet they can improve.  We only need persistence and patience.

Patience is not easily acquired.  We must develop it and work on it day by day.  We get it if we love and respect ourselves and if we clearly understand that failure might always wait around the corner.  How we avoid it or face it to rise and improve will only happen thanks to our inner peace and patience.  

Let us not worry, let us get to work!

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Living with coffee,  motivated by coffee – by Rose Karimi

3/6/2015

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Rose (in center) with fellow Kenyan women in coffee
Living and working with coffee
Regina Mwangi: a mentor for many young women in Kenya

Waking up each day to work in the coffee industry is turning out to be the greatest experience in my life. Ever since I joined Dedan Kimathi University of Technology to study coffee, I have experienced vigorous growth and satisfaction.  All motivated by the issues revolving around coffee. It is through coffee that I am capable of earning a living. This is similar to several other women who earn their living through this valuable commodity along the value and quality chain.

Big encounter.
Meeting with the key players and great people around the world of coffee has changed the lifestyle of a number of the women. As women, having undergone similar challenges attaining successful missions and sharing incredible personal experiences and encounters has yielded ambitious women who are willing to change their livelihoods in order to definitely help prosper the community.

Regina Mwangi, who has been my mentor, has also been a big motivation for several young women in Kenya who can pick up from her example. Her effort to pursue her Master’s degree in "Coffee Economics and Science" thanks to the Ernesto Illy Foundation in Italy and her persistent spirit has made her retain and steer a position in the Kenyan coffee industry today. She has really mentored several young women into leaders. A part from being a mentor, Regina’s high spirit and passion of result-orientated goals is a sure inspiration in general and as far as coffee issues are concerned in my life.

The social network.
I thank God that we have different bodies pulling the effort of women together such as the Women in the world of coffee that is helping to turn the world around through a quiet revolution. It is one of the greatest motivations for women around the globe today. Getting in touch with different coffee players and getting updated on events happening around us is a major stimulus. Thanks to this blogging opportunity, it is a perfect platform for the women to influence the world positively their best way possible.

I believe all the lady bloggers have untapped potential that can now be tapped through the blog and take coffee issues to the next level in their respective countries...thumps up for this blog and all the women who have really been supportive to see fellow young ladies be empowered and become driven.

We are a product of our association and the coffee world is indeed a fascinating reality!


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