Peace Kawomera Coop LTD CC | Africa Region
In 2003, JJ Keki, a Jewish coffee farmer from eastern Uganda, began knocking on the doors of his neighbors and asking them to set aside their differences and join forces. Family farms were struggling to make ends meet, and Mr. Keki explained that if they worked together, they could earn four times as much for their coffee. From this seed, Mirembe Kawomera, meaning “delicious peace,” was born, a fair-trade coffee cooperative that unites Christian, Muslim and Jewish farmers in a country rife with inter-religious conflict. In collaboration with Thanksgiving Coffee Distributors in North America, the cooperative supports over 550 families. Higher prices have improved life for the whole community, increased farmers’ incentive to produce a better product, and given them hope of long-term financial stability. The group joined URI as Peace Kawomera CC in 2007.
