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Lest you think that we forgot about the inauguration of Barack Obama, the incredible groundswell of community-based organizing his campaign inspired, or the hope that peace may be back in style…
It’s our pleasure to introduce you to the President’s Blend: Coffee For Change
Available in limited quantities in honor of Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20th as the 44th President of the United States of America.
Greetings friends,
Here is another quick update.
On January 2nd I rode a motorcycle out to the Cooperative and started my first set of interviews. The farmers are very interested in our work and especially eager to share their stories. I visited the villages of Nkoma and Namanyoni. It was extremely hot walking from one farmer’s house to the next, but it was worth it.
I am collecting note cards with information from students across the Mbale region. In addition to the cards, I am taking photos of the students. The cards will be sent to Oprah’s Ambassador’s Program in Miami, Florida, as a way to give their students a glimpse into the lives of Ugandan students. Word has spread throughout the area of this project and everywhere I go students and parents are asking for cards. While some students have enough education to write something about themselves, other are simply drawing pictures.
On January 3rd, there was a funeral of the local community health mobilize. Because it was the Jewish Sabbath, the Jewish community did not help dig the grave for this Catholic man, but at the burial which took place in his back yard, hundreds of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim community members came to show their respect. The sung psalms were solemn in nature. Under a jasmine tree, his children and grandchildren, were sobbing in distress. Their cries carried over the mixed crowd wearing islamic head coverings, kippot, and no head coverings. Their shrills were of udder despair. He was a young man in his 40’s and his work united people of all faiths through health care.
Yesterday I went to Mass at a church in the remote village of Nabikayi. I recorded the service and will post the file when I return home. Then, in the afternoon, I conducted another set of interviews with some more farmers. I met the Imam of the mosque I will be at for prayers on Friday, and several other members of the local Muslim community.
For the next 4 days I will be interviewing farmers in different villages. The Field Officer, John Bosco, is taking me around acting as my translator and inside hookup. He is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He is also inspired to help me share the stories of “his” farmers. It is his responsibly to serve all 11 villages which grow Mirembe Kawomera Delicious Peace coffee and vanilla. John teaches them about organic farming and manages all the details of the field.
Unfortunately, the internet isn’t fast enough here for me to upload a block of my photos… so that will have to wait until I return.
Until next time,
Love from Uganda.
Holly Moskowitz
Hello from the hot Pearl of Africa,
Yesterday, I met with the Board of Directors of Peace Kawomera. They are warm, engaged, hard working people from all faiths that want to promote the PKC and world peace.
We opened the meeting with a prayer led by Sinina, a young Muslim woman many of you met while we were on tour in March. Then, JJ introduced me, reiterated TCC’s relationship with the PKC, and posed the question of how to reach Oprah.
Next I spoke. I told the members who I was and what I wanted to accomplish while I was here. I told them that the PKC’s story as a whole is inspiring, but that the PKC’s story would not be possible if it weren’t for the individual members’ stories. I was here to hear their stories and use them to promote their message of peace, and ultimately in turn, sell more coffee.
Everyone was very excited to help me set up interviews. We made a schedule for the next 3 weeks. On Friday I start with 2 villages (Coma and Namanyoni). On Sunday I am attending the Nabikayi Catholic Church in the morning, and at 2:00 I have another set of interviews in Nabagyua. Next week is booked with interviews with multiple villages. On Friday I am going to the mosque with Sinina.
My 3rd week here I will be doing health care education with the farmers. Dr. Liz Feldman from Chicago will be helping me on Monday, Jan 10th with HIV/AIDs education and diabetes workshops. On Tuesday, Dr. Samson Wamani, and local Ugandan, will be helping with the same workshops in another village. Wednesday and Thursday I’ll be in Bico, Nankus, and Iasa Teco leading workshops on my own. The Annual General Meeting of Peace Kawomera takes place on Friday, January 16th. I will attend church services at the Anglican Church on Sunday the 18th.
Today there is a soccer match between the Peace Kawomera Cooperative and local youth.
JJ, Kakaire, Elyasa, John Boseo, Sinina, Samuel, Jonathan, and Stephen all send their regards.
Happy New Year to everyone!! May this year be a year of true peace.
Holly (Nabude)
The good folks over at Change.org recently posted a couple of blog entries highlighting our story as an example of the connection between fair trade and peace. For those who haven’t run across this great site, Change.org advocates for a variety of peace- and justice-related causes. Read below for a snippet from their post, and visit the link below for more…
December is full of holidays celebrated by many different faiths. Today is Christmas and the fifth night of Chanukah. Kwanzaa starts tomorrow and Eid al-Adha was observed earlier this month.
When I think of December, I think about people coming together and sharing. Sharing stories, hugs, food, gifts, traditions and culture. A big part of Fair Trade is the idea of sharing and teaching one culture about their own. It’s about connecting people. The sharing and connecting usually takes the form of people in the ‘Global North’ learning about the cultures of those in the ‘Global South’. But what happens when Fair Trade brings together different cultures — specifically Christians, Muslims and Jews — within the ‘Global South’? Well, you get the Mirembe Kawomera Coffee Cooperative, or “Delicious Peace”.
Dear Friends,
Today is my last day in the office until Jan 26, 2009. For the next month, I will be visiting with the Peace Kawomera Cooperative in Uganda. While there, I will be interviewing farmers, leading workshops on diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and documenting my findings through still photographs and video recordings.
I will have limited access to the Internet while I am gone.
If you need to place a wholesale order, please call Patty Ellis at 800-462-1999 ext 27 or email her at pellis@thanksgivingcoffee.com Since Patty is covering for me, please have your account information ready to give her (name of account, city, state, your name, and phone number).
If you have questions about the Mirembe Kawomera Coffee Project, please feel free to contact my co-worker, Ben Corey-Moran, 800-462-1999 ext 30 or bcm@thanksgivingcoffee.com Ben is on the road quite a bit, so it may take him a couple of days to respond to your inquiry. Thank you for your patience.
For orders less than 20, you can always order online from our webstore or call 800-462-1999 and ask to speak with our mail-order representatives, David or Susan.
Thank you for your flexibility and understanding. Happy Holidays, and I look forward to touching base in 2009!
In Peace,
Holly
Dear Friends,
Several people have asked to see a chart of sales and growth since the start of the project. I believe this information should be out there for all to see, for it is you and your hard work that sustains our work and the longevity of the farmers. We currently don’t have the ability to make this chart “live,” so I will update and repost it at least twice a month.
Thank you for your support. I keep saying this, but as you can now see: Every bag really does make a difference!!
Click on the chart to enlarge: 
HOW FAR HAVE WE COME?
Good question!
In 2005, Thanksgiving Coffee Co. bought 1 container (37,500 pounds) of Mirembe Kawomera Coffee. From Aug - Dec of 2005, we sold 3,658 pounds.
During the second year, we bought 2 containers (75,000 pounds) of coffee, and sold 13,234 pounds.
In 2007, another 2 containers were bought, and 24,442 pounds were sold.
For this year, the farmers produced 3 containers (112,500 pounds) of coffee. From January 1st 2008 - December 10, 2008, 29,829 pounds have been sold as Mirembe Kawomera Coffee.
Interpreting the data: Four years ago we made a commitment to the farmers of Peace Kawomera that we would buy all the coffee that they could produce. We have lived up to our promise. You might be asking yourself, “What do they do with all the coffee that they don’t sell?” Well, we do sell it, just not as “Mirembe Kawomera.” The coffee gets blended into our Fair Trade / Organic mixtures, or sold as a house french or house light. The coffee is used, but the downside of having it used this way vs. sold as Mirembe is that the rebate that is in place through our profit-sharing program is only applied to the coffee that is sold as Delicious Peace. In other words, the $1 per package we donate to the Cooperative only applies to the coffee that is sold as Mirembe Kawomera “Delicious Peace” coffee. Just think how much more prosperous the Cooperative will be as we expand the market for Delicious Peace Coffee!
We have come a long way, but we still have a very long way to go. Please continue to buy Mirembe Kawomera Coffee. Every bag really does make a difference!
In Peace,
Holly
A few weeks ago, the CEO and founder of No Sweat™ Apparel contacted us with idea: Support each other’s work through our products for peace. We thought it was a great idea!
No Sweat™ Apparel is 100% union made, sweatshop free, fair trade fashion. They have been producing clothing and sneakers in the US, Canada and the developing world since 2002. What made them a truly perfect fit for us is their organic cotton T-shirts- produced at a Palestinian owned factory on Virgin Mary Street in Bethlehem- with the active support of the Israeli and the Palestinian foreign ministries. Here’s a segment about the project on al Jazeera….
http://www.youtube.com/nosweatapparel
When you purchase Mirembe Kawomera “Delicious Peace” Coffee this season, you will receive a No Sweat™ brochure and a $5 off coupon good on purchases of $25 or more from No Sweat™.
They are a super cool company. Check them out at www.nosweatshop.com and keep your eyes open for their brochure/coupon.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to all those affected by the terror attacks in Mumbai this past week. May the victims be remembered for their goodness in the world, and may their memories live on forever. For those left behind forced to carry on, I wish you comfort to ease the unfathomable pain.
May the day come soon when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
In Peace,
Holly
Dear everyone and anyone reading this post this Thanksgiving Day,
I hope your turkeys are cooked, your tofu is firm, cranberry sauce gooey, stuffing not too soggy, hearts are warm, and hands are open.
Thank you for being you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
In Peace,
Holly
You rose to the challenge during Fair Trade Month, and we need your help again. The numbers speak for themself (ok, well not really - numbers don’t talk - even though they say a lot). Also, we are trying to get a bag of Mirembe into Obama’s hands. If you have any suggestions, contacts, or leads, please let me know! Change is here. Let’s get Mirembe into the White House too!!
Remember, now is the right time to be thinking about holiday gifts!
THANK YOU,
Holly