To those of you rolling through the cafe on the daily and others traveling from afar, your sipping fresh brews has helped raise $3,959.46 across Jan and Feb for TCTC. Yeeea!

You know the drill. 20c from every brew is set aside to contribute directly to our supported partners as we aim high to build a coffee industry that’s fair for all. Have a gander of our homepage to learn more about Zukuka Bora and HomeGround.

This month we had a yarn with both David and Kenneth of Zukuka Bora. Regular conversations with these gentlemen are a privilege and we’ve provided some highlights below. Amazing insights into how they’ve built such strong trust with Mt Elgon communities by fulfilling promises and a permanent mindset.

Our Zukuka Bora Day on Friday 12th of Feb raised a cheeky extra $615 for TCTC. Commonfolk buds Jack & Josh whipped up some beautiful murals in the cafe, the kitchen rolled up many ‘Ugandan Rolex’ (ultimate street food), and our coffee bar featured the Mt Elgon Washed and Natural side by side. All to raise some extra dosh and awareness for ZB and TCTC. Pop your head into the front nook of the cafe to appreciate the mural next time you’re in.

We also purchased fifty fresh donation tins this month that will sit pretty on our wholesale partner’s counters soon, as we increase means for our wider community to contribute. We set ambitious goals for our commitments to supported partners and want to extend this deeper and wider in the next financial year. 

ZUKUKA BORA UPDATE

David Bishop is a key member of the incredible Zukuka Bora team. His extensive experience across the development and NGO sector was the perfect entreé for the responsibility of developing a coffee company - we can hear him laughing at that statement. David plans the projects to be co-funded by TCTC each financial year, then manages implementation and reporting, alongside an amazing team.

This year’s projects included building the largest greenhouses in Eastern Uganda which have handled all the natural processed lots, the first time they’ve had sufficient drying space and not had coffee spoiled. The quality has hit another level, again. You’ll love it.

The team were also able to purchase an IKAWA, an industry leading sample coffee roaster, which has allowed sensory analysis throughout the season for immediate quality control and upskilling of the team. Two motorcycles have also been funded, allowing the team to move quickly between sites across the mountain to improve monitoring and security.

Ongoing projects include renewing existing drying infrastructure, particularly at the Wanale Ridge site, and investing in professional training for the team. Committed funding from TCTC over the next months will contribute to these as well as the ongoing maintenance of existing infrastructure. Coffee quality improvements are not an isolated goal of these projects, but are the conduit for greater economic empowerment for farming families across the mountain. And this is being realised, largely because of committed partners such as Commonfolk.

The fifth season has wrapped up, with coffee milled and almost ready for departure to our shores. The harvest was looking grim and threatened to be very low production. Kenneth, manager of the Sipi Falls site and pictured above, explained that “poor timing of rains during the flowering period contributed to lower yields and an increase in Coffee Berry Disease.”

But how did Zukuka Bora go on to have their largest production season yet!? Kenneth says it’s because of “the trust we build with farmers. They trust us. When we promise, we make sure we fulfil what we have said. We pay high prices on the mountain and we write their name and a receipt, evidence to give the bonus.”

“We have become a permanent citizen of Sipi! The big companies come and go with middlemen, but for us we want the farmer to come directly to our site.”

“Many people sell coffee to middlemen, so even if I maintain my farm I will not make money. But farmers are happy with Zukuka. They are receiving their money and their bonus. They are even asking for seedlings.”

Kenneth shared that maintenance of coffee trees is the biggest challenge for coffee farmers, as any investments made are ordinarily not rewarded. “It’s tempting to plant immediate income plants like tomatoes. They take two to three months to earn money. A new coffee farm will earn income after three years. Some people are not patient.”

But there is a positive association with coffee for the communities Zukuka Bora is working within, as there is confidence for fair pricing and infrastructure that will serve them and their families into the future. Farmers in Sipi are telling the team to ‘widen [the buying site] to make it very big to process all our coffee, as flowering is too much, coffee is too much next season!”

We’re inspired by the ZB team to continue the work we love doing. To our cafe and wholesale customers, thank you for partnering with Commonfolk and TCTC as we enjoy the tastes of a life-giving value chain. Let’s aim high and keep working towards a fairer future.

THE MONTHLY NUMBERS. 

Jan + Feb TCTC incoming

• $3,344.46 from Commonfolk brews and tips.

• $615 from the Zukuka Bora Day.

Jan + Feb TCTC outgoing

• 75kg of the freshest coffee.

• $914 for TCTC Donation tins - 50 units at $18.28.