Sometimes things do not go as we planned and we have to find ways to solve issues and save our project. It would be dishonest to pretend that things never go wrong. At no fault of their own, our Coffee Cooperative #1 has twice suffered setbacks that caused us to regroup, re-plan and recover the business of the cooperative. Complications were due to the dishonesty of someone in a position of control on both occasions.
However, a very committed and determined new board has been elected and the farmers remain optimistic that their business, which includes a factory for processing coffee, will get through this difficult time and prosper.
Despite the recent various speed bumps, there is evidence that the project is yielding positive results for farmers. We are currently in the middle of a season and the factory is busy processing every day. Today, we visited a farmer named Lawrence at his farm. He has been a part of our cooperative for 3 years. He has been able to purchase an acre of land through his profits to add to the two he already owned. He is successfully growing a variety of crops; coffee, maize, bananas, pumpkin and papaya.
After our meeting with the general assembly and then the board, I feel confident that we can help the cooperative successfully pull through to get back on track. It is clear that we need to invest additional funding in order to save this business or it would be a loss. We have all of the elements already in place to succeed. We have the hardworking, capable farmers. We have the new board. We have the factory and factory manager and technician. We have the guidance of Pilot Light Program Director, Delphin Muhizi. In the case of our cooperatives, we all either fail together or succeed together…
On a personal note, I feel so happy to be at the little gem of a hotel we always stay at in this town, perched on a hill, a breeze blowing, spectacular view. It isn’t perfect, but it feels like home (at least for tonight).
