Blog Archives - Women in the world of Coffee

When you can't change a situation - you are challenged to change yourself - by Irene Gutierrez

11/27/2014

Immagine

If we think of humans as energy, we understand that we are part of the infinite transformations that exist. Physical changes are evident with the passage of time and the inner changes, although they are harder to identify, they are real and aren't related with time, they depend only on us.

When I hear the phrase “people don’t change”, I have always believed that is a response to the selfishness of "not doing what I want you to do", justifying the actions of others that we dislike.

The hope to change others to one’s desire is a myth that continues to be selfish and the cause of many unfortunate facts (such as with religion, wars and relationships).

However, I agree and recognize that there are small changes we all can do every day, making a big difference in us and in humanity.

The changes we make may have consequences at the time, such as a pregnancy or a bomb. Or it may have future consequences like studying a profession, conducting research or even the infamous global warming.

Changes may be a conscious decision such as saying "I do" or could be an adaptation like a chameleon's skin… as Mercedes Sosa says in her song: todo cambia.

Analyzing my changes, I recognize that in 26 years, changes are evident, even though I look younger, I measure and weigh more than when I was born! These changes are predestined, but the changes that make who I am today are what really matter. I know I have not been the stereotype daughter, student, or professional female model, but the model according to whom?

I have been the best person I can be and I am focused on always being better. I grew by my own experiences as well as the experiences of society that I have adopted for myself. I will not deny that along the way I made mistakes and some I prefer to forget, but every one of those mistakes and goals make me unique and help me to be prepared for what comes later.

I have studied and constantly broken those limitations that keep me from moving forward; they might have been easy or difficult, but clearly inevitable when I have a goal to reach. Upon arrival, I have to confess that I always doubt whether it is the process or the achievement that is more enjoyable, since most of my learning comes from the process.

As is the yin-yang in this case, the opposite of change is immobility and it is true that at times we must stop, but it should not be forever. It should be like a pause to design and choose the best option, try to always be and do better than ever. Inaction? Not an option! I don't accept it as a standard for any society. We are part of the evolution of life; and well…nothing is more dynamic than life itself.

Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow' - by Rebeca Valle Anfossi

11/21/2014

Rebeca (far left) and friends

A helping hand...

At the end of the battle, the combatant dead, a man
approached him and said to him:
'Don’t die; I love you so much!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.

Two more came up to him and repeated:
'Don’t leave us! Be brave! Come back to life!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.

Twenty, a hundred, a thousand, five hundred thousand
appeared, crying out:
'So much love, and no power against death!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.

Millions of individuals surrounded him
with a common plea: 'Don’t leave us brother!'
but the corpse, alas!, kept on dying.

Then all the inhabitants of the earth surrounded him;
the corpse looked at them sadly, deeply moved;
he got up slowly
embraced the first man; started to walk…

"Mass" by Cesar Vallejo

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It sometimes happens that life seems to have no direction, fate turns gray. Life is a long journey with wonderful experiences, but also with stones that hindered the way. I’m sure we've all had to fight for something sometime; we’ve been doing it since childhood. But if we have meaningful goals in life, this will helps us to move forward and never give up.

I recently tripped over some of these stones during my life’s journey. I must confess, they were hard and undesirable moments, but if you are sure you can overcome them, these stones will make you stronger. I recently had an episode in my life that troubled my health and it became more worrying when I realized that also the doctors didn’t know what was happening to me, they could not find an accurate diagnosis. My health was getting worse, the daily routine, activities and objectives were left aside. The frustrating daily pain did not let me think of good things. But within all this darkness, I found angels who helped me get ahead, starting with my family that has never left my side, helped me to dodge the stones. We fought together and found caring people, good doctors who at last we able to give me a diagnosis and possible treatment. It was a long time of uncertainty, but I was able to the see the light at the end of the tunnel.

My friends also played an important role. Their concern moved me and filled me with strength. My friends and my family gave me the desire to heal and move forward.

At a certain point, I stopped thinking about the bad things and I decided to change those negative thoughts into positive things, short term goals initially – things as simple as finishing my lunch, come home and fall asleep in my bed . Little things like dessert after lunch filled my day with joy! I then started to give myself more ambitious goals, some of which I have been able to fulfill already.

This journey is difficult. I know there are still visible stones up ahead, but from my own experience so far, I know that anything is possible. The unconditional support of my loving family, the goals I have set for myself, the concerns of my true friends have all helped me to continue on this path and to never give up.

We cannot control the wind, but we can adjust the sails - by Raquel Santos Soares Menezes

11/14/2014

Raquel (left) with her mentor Josiane Cotrim (center)

Raquel - a strong woman with passion

Women in the world of coffee making a difference

Diversity. This is my inspiration to join this project. In the area where I work professionally – in administration - the relevance of this topic in organizational space led to the creation of the term "diversity management", such is the importance of achieving an environment where people can live harmoniously and productively, with others from different cultures, nationalities, races, genders, sexual orientations, etc.

Diversity has been one of the most achieved goals in companies that seek to recognize and enhance the competitive advantage through people. In practice, effective actions that promote diversity have been encouraged for several reasons.

In the case of multinational organizations, for example, the coexistence between people of different countries is a clear need, and therefore efforts are targeted to expatriates and locals take the best advantage of its multicultural experience for both.

However, with the diversity of gender, this "need" is not so clear, since men and women cannot always occupy the organizational space "as equals". Although women have gained rights and opportunities in the aspect of the public life in many countries and sectors, this reality does not correspond to effective gender equity - in other words, diversity by means of the difference, with equal opportunities for all.

When I started researching on the topic of women in business, I faced representations of masculine women, reinforcing gender stereotypes rooted in the social imaginary. Acting in business management and preserving femininities still seems to be a difficult barrier to be overcome, particularly in some sectors such as agribusiness. Referring to femininities in the plural means recognizing that each woman is unique and creates her own way, her different way of being and expressing herself as a woman. This is the real wealth of diversity: that every woman can choose to be herself, creating and recreating the countless possibilities of the feminine in organizations.

In a global project for the coffee chain such as the "Quiet Revolution", diversity means acknowledging that women in each country - producer or consumer - have their own gender history and symbols. By sharing our stories and experiences, we can build an environment more prosperous for the role of women in this sector.

As the flowers of each variety of coffee beans that produce different types of drink, each of us brings our own contribution to diversify and enrich the debate on greater participation of women in coffee. Creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and even more collaborative organizations in business involving coffee: these are the fruits that diversity can bequeath us.

The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph – by Kattia Barrantes

11/7/2014

Immagine

I moved away from my job, I took over my coffee farm; I built my Kaba Café business -- a coffee specialty marketer both nationally and internationally--, as well as Kaba Coffee Center, the first barista, cupping, and coffee roasting school in Costa Rica.

I take on my responsibilities from the seed to the final cup of coffee to provide the best for the client or consumer. This is what I keep as part of my purpose: never surrender.

Life, both personally and professionally, will always be full of problems and situations that weaken us and make us feel exhausted and unwilling to fight, but it is here when we must show what we are made of and what we want for our future. Faith, love, and respect for ourselves and everything around us will always enable us to find the way and the light that will lead us to success and the happiness we want.

To never give up is my daily “north star”, my “north star” in life. Perseverance is the constant, to face the obstacles and difficulties that approach us every day and to learn we can defeat them with a “Never Surrender” in our hearts and in our minds.

The joy that comes with overcoming barriers and the lesson learned from never giving up are cause of satisfaction and daily growth. I am what I am today because, from an early age, I understood the meaning of these words, and I always promised myself that, even if others did not believe in me, I would never stop believing that I was able to make my dreams come true. But all in good time, since to never surrender is like a war; many times you know you’ve lost a battle, you acknowledge it, accept it, and assume the mistakes. Then, you work on it to finally win the next battle decisively.