Coffee is a very important crop and commodity in East Africa. It is estimated that some 850.000 up to 1 million households in Rwanda and Uganda alone grow coffee and for many of these households coffee is the only source of cash income. The Archbishop of Kampala, Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, have joined forces with Mr Joachim Davidsson from B-Open Nordic in Sweden. Archbishop Lwanga is already involved in many projects helping farmers and other people in Uganda and East Africa and he have outlined a concept idea that he asked Mr Joachim Davidsson from B-Open Nordic to develop further.
The project is named JOACHIM WEKEMBE COFFEE and the mission is to build a stronger position for East African coffee along with creating a better stream of income for actual farmers. The name WEKEMBE comes from WEKEMBE Micro-Credit Scheme Ltd and WEKEMBE is short for Women Empowerment with Knowledge, Entrepreneurship, Management Basic Skills and Education. Women are also many times coffee growers and alone as family providers.
The Joachim WEKEMBE Coffee “JOWE” Projects aim to coordinate many programs and initiative in one such as WEKEMBE Micro-Credit Scheme, Central Archdiocesan Provincial Caritas, Uganda Governance and Poverty Alleviation Program (UGAPAP), JOMAT Ltd (Joseph and Matilda LTD), Tusuubira Women Development Agency and KADCOS (Kampala Archdiocesan Cooperative Society. There is a great need for better market access, farming development but also more reliable supply chains for buyers. We want to address all these issues in a more coordinated program where we have better resources to meet the challenges in the field but also requirements from market and buyers.
For more information about this initiative and other sustainable business projects in East Africa, welcome to contact us here at B-Open Nordic by email