Africa Solidarity day in Kiel

The Fall is here. Its not my favourite season for various reasons, but mainly because it brings with it the shorter days. You see i grew up in a country that does not have seasons; it either rains like hell on the mountains of the Aberdares, or the hot tropical African sun sends you hiding underneath the shadowy Mugumo trees.
With now the shorter days, and darkness as early as 4 pm, it sends my mind to tricks that it is super late, so i start making soup and getting to bed earlier :O . The fall is one thing i dont think i will ever come to terms with.
Its nice ofcourse watching the tree leaves change colour on my street and eventually fall, but this brings in a sadness in me because deep down i know its the end of the nice weather.....and the beginning of the main coffee picking season for my people.

the view of my street with all the leaves changing colours and falling off

Well, 2 weeks ago saw us attend and co -organise the Afrika Solidaritätstag in Kiel Schleswig Holstein.
This is an event which is done once every year and brings together Migrants of African descent that live and work in Germany. These are amazing people who work together with their German counterparts in the state of Schleswig Holstein towards Intercultural understanding, Global Learning as well as Cooperative development with their countries of origin.
The theme for this year's event was Fairer Handel als Chance für Entwicklung.
We got to be one of the key note speakers based on our work with the coffee producers in Nyeri Kenya.



We did a presentation of the journey of my village, a presentation of what the coffee producers go through before they are able to produce those cups of our morning coffee that we take for granted.

Explaining much patience is required in coffee production-

With the Fall in Germany, my people in Kenya have the month of October, a month that brings with it the main coffee picking season, where the farmers toil from dawn to dusk...where my grandmother who doesnt even know her age still tends her coffee bushes. Our own close and personal relationship with these coffee producers, gives them a silver of hope, a hope for a sustainable market for their produce with the partnerships that we form in Germany, my the force be with us.

During the African Solidarity day, i show-cased the amazing work of these selfless producers and the process of coffee production and processing in Kenya.

Through Kedovo e.V we work with the coffee producers in Nyeri towards Sustainable coffee production, as well as support various community development projects in Kiganjo, with our hearts leaning heavily on supporting the education requirements for the children of our coffee producers.

The event was amazing, and it was such a fulfilling moment to meet other people who believe that if we work together we can bring the much needed development in Africa, not through Grants but through the facilitation of bringing in knowledge, tools and networks to communities back in Africa so that they can bring out their capacities and capabilities.

In pictures.....

and we danced....

So, as i continue surviving the Fall, my people continue picking coffee......
To the Roasters in Germany, remember with the purchase of our coffee, you give hope to the kids of my village, hope beyond  primary schools, hope to dare to dream and to see the world. As usual lets make it happen.

We are currently offerring coffee from Ndurutu Wet Mill - Rutuma Cooperative Nyeri, late harvest 2013/ 2014 F.O.T Bremen- transport to other destination within Germany arrangable at a cost. 

Please contact Nicole Boedtger or Soni Schneidewind for samples, price quoatations and contracting.

More news from Ndurutu and the projects underway coming up in the week.

The journey continues....