Ngandu Mill - Rutuma Cooperative - Lamu Youth in Coffee Project

The Ngandu wet mill, resting on the fertile slopes of Mount Kenya, processes the ripe coffee cherries of smallholder producers, all of whom are members of the historic Rutuma co-operative. The factory is located near the town of Karatina, in Kenya’s Nyeri County. The resulting lot is a fine example of a Kenyan coffee.

Vava Coffee dedicates 10% of the revenue from all coffee sales to funding the Lamu Youth in Coffee Project. This initiative is organised by Gente del Futuro (People of the Future), a collective created by Vava and made up of passionate people working towards empowering coffee communities, especially young women and girls.

The goal is to transform communities by providing economic opportunities. These come through coffee trade, education and capacity building. And all this happens at the Lamu Coffee School.

Why Lamu?

Lamu is an island on the coast of Kenya. It is heavily dependent on tourism for economic sustainability as well as on informal jobs in fishing and farming.

The level of unemployment is high: only 21% of the population is in formal employment! Lamu also has some of the lowest literacy levels in the country.

The lack of opportunity drives Lamu’s youth to crime and drugs. It’s not a cliché. It’s reality.

“We believe this initiative can provide more gainful employment and various opportunities to young people, generating economic stability for themselves and their families,” says Vava.

“Our first cohort of students recently successfully completed the foundation courses in Brewing and Barista offered by the Specialty Coffee Association. We are looking towards this cohort doing their intermediate courses this November as they continue on their path towards a professional coffee career.”