Coffee changing lives- the challenges and the hope

I sit and watch as the darkness settle and engulfs the village. Its the last day of 2015.

view of the Ranges from my village

Its been 2 years now since we fully started trading. Two years of our Social enterpreneurship. Two years of transforming communities through economic development from coffee production. It has not been easy, i have grey hair but no regrets, this is what i wanted to do with my life, this is my world. I know that things might not fully Change during my time, we still have a Long way to go....my People know this too and we will still continue doing what we started.

Like any other business we have had a many challenges and we soldiered on. We have met and made amazing friends and partners.

The season is coming to an end. The village is still buzzing with excitement as we await the new year. My father says the season has been good, hes very hopeful. His records shows he had 2,150 kgs of cherry and 100kg of Naturals.

I still worry. My people though hopeful had a lot of challenges, half of the harvest was destroyed by frost.The season encountered prolonged drought, the rain god didnt visit from the mountains.The last days i have transversed from one range to the other to meet our amazing coffee farmers. Their dedication and hope makes me stronger, They have hope and they know that through our partnership we can together make a difference to their whole lives.

Meeting with our Exporters

Being a year end we will reflect on the accomplishments, the developments and the challenges that have defined whom we are and the Story of my People. It is all those things that have kept us on the journey---




1. In 2015 we managed to ship 2 containers of green beans to Germany.
The sale of this coffee has greatly supported KEDOVO e.V projects on community development. Without this great Support from Heinz & Nicole, our work would have been so much harder. This purchase benefited thousands of coffee farmers and their families from Nyeri and their communities.
This has ensured the intiation of the following sustainable Projects:


http://www.kedovo.org/english-home-page/all-kedovo-projects/water-tanks-for-nyeri/


http://www.kedovo.org/english-home-page/all-kedovo-projects/kamamunda-poultry-farming/


http://www.kedovo.org/english-home-page/all-kedovo-projects/flexi-biogas-energy-solutions/


Thank you all of you for the great Support!

2.Through the great partnership with KEDOVO e.V we have met our amazing group of volunteers who dedicated their time and resources to visit, interact and live together with the communities who produce our coffee.

Special thanks to Erika Bartels of Kedovo Volunteers who spent a month in the community development program in Ndurutu and later on took it to her heart to support those communities by presenting our projects in Niedersachen, became our greatest ''coffee ambassador'', and through her network brought KEDOVO e.V amazing supporters. Her dedication is a tale of what changes partnerships and cultural exchange can bring to the world.

We visited Neema Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre on christmas eve, and supported them with mattreses , blankets etc. We also painted the rooms to make them more cosy and nicer for the children.This would not have been possible without Erika and her friends from Niedersachen and for this we will always be grateful. Asanteni sana!



the gang purchasing mattresses for Neema children's home at Chaka market



blankets- supported by Erika & friends in Niedersachen



the children's room before



rooms after



KEDOVO Team , Grace and the children of Neema

discussion with Gráce on way forward

Through Erika and her work, we was able to Support Ndurutu Primary with several reading books for the School Library built by KEDOVO gang in earlier in July.
On top of this, Erika and her Team supported 15 needy School going children with School fees for the whole term!

some of the books supported by Erika

Banking Slips -School fees for 15 children

To those of you near or in Roderbruch, kindly visit Kulturtreff Roderbruch on Rotekreuzstraße 19 on January 24th 2016 from 16- 19 hrs where Erika Bartels will Showcase a presentation about her Volunteerism in Kenya in 2015 as well as the Engagements and work of KEDOVO e.V under the title ''Kenia entdecken''. All are welcome.

To our dedicated coffee buyers , without you this would have been so much harder! And your support is greatly appreciated by the community who produce our coffee.

3.Capacity Building

We met with farmers and Management of Ndurutu wet mill where we had discussions and emphasized on the cultivation of Quality coffee. Only by improving  their Quality will the farmers be able to earn 'real income' from coffee production. We believe by bringing the villagers together to work towards a common economic Goal we will be able to build Long Lasting relationships and partneships and help the farmers have a hope for the future.



Management Meeting Ndurutu Wet mill



Chairman- Ndurutu wet mill

Farmers representative

To all the the People who continue supporting our work, Asanteni Sana! This would have not been possible without you all.


To continue supporting the se communities we have on offer Direct Trade Green coffee from Ndurutu wet mill F.O.T Bremen/ Hamburg, Transport within Germany & the EU also arrangable at a cost. Please contact Soni Schneidewind or Nicole Boedtger for Information on samples, Prices and contract.