In February 2004 I worked as a volunteer in the birthplace
of coffee, Ethiopia. I became so inspired by this fascinating
country that I co-founded ECAFE
Foundation. Our mission: to support subsistent coffee
farmers of exemplary coffee and to organize an annual coffee
competition and auction for all organized coffee cooperatives
in Ethiopia.
In February 2005, we held the first
ECAFE Gold competition, which was followed by an internet
auction. The auction raised just over $189,000 and the net
proceeds were returned to Ethiopia.
Hear the NPR radio program that was broadcasted after the
competition.Part 1 and Part
2.
ECAFE Foundation
is managed by volunteers only. The core values of ECAFE are:Traceability,
Sustainability and Quality. For our auction programs, we select
coffees that are fully traceable from the farm to the the
warehouse of the roaster. We promote concepts of social and
environmental responsibility and the final goal is to produce
and select coffee lots with exemplary quality.
Right now, we are preparing an exciting new project; the establishment
of the ECAFE Coffee Learning Center in Aleta Wondo, Sidamo.
Our project partner is Common
River, a new organization founded by Donna Sillan and
Tsegaye Bekele. Common River plans to establish in Aleta Wondo
a primary school, a healthcare center and a micro-enterprise
project.
At the Coffee Learning Center, coffee farmers and their children
will receive ongoing education about three essential values:
Coffee Quality, Sustainability and Coffee Business. Our ultimate
goal is to improve the livelihood of coffee farmers in Aleta
Wondo and to establish an exemplary model that can be replicated
in other communities around Ethiopia.
Below you can view a short video that shows the fundraising
we organized with Common River on September 30, 2007 at the
Mill Valley Community Center.
