NGUVU is a Danish company with the goal of empowering female coffee farmers in Kenya. We believe that we can create a sustainable value chain, where consumers in Denmark can drink great coffee while at the same time strengthen women and their small independent coffee businesses.
Traditionally, the women have been held in poverty because of poor payment for coffee beans. Moreover, the women often receive the payment one year later, which further worsened their situation and increased their debts.
Planting new coffee trees at the school.
Through the NGUVU business model the women now receive a fair payment upfront, when delivering the coffee cherries. At the same time, we help the women improve their farms, so they can grow their small coffee businesses step by step. For example, by giving them:
- More and better coffee trees from our coffee nursery
- Water tanks, so they have better access to water
- Cows that give them access to manure and milk
- Solar lamps, so the women and their children can avoid using the kerosene lamps
We also cooperate with one of the local schools, where we have built sinks, toilets and bathrooms for the girls.
Today 215 women are part of NGUVU. When we empower the women generally, it creates strong ripple effect. The women are not only able to bring food and clean water to the table every day. They are also able to send their children or grandchildren to school, which is key to give the children a future with possibilities and to create long-lasting development in the local community.
Alice drying coffee beans.