About 4 months after opening our retail location, I received a call from this guy who asked me if I would be interested in purchasing coffee from a women's cooperative in the Congo. It got my attention immediately and we spoke for a long time. His name is Jim Ngokwey and he was with this phenomenal company called Mighty Peace Coffee. It was the first time that I had heard of them, but as I did some research on them, I found that they are doing wonderful things for the Congolese coffee farmers. They were formed back in 2018 and are women and minority owned. Their mission includes making sure that the farmers are paid a living wage, that they are supported in the practice of sustainable farming and that they promote peace through inclusivity and equality. Our coffee comes from a group that they work with, the Mapendo Women Farmers. Mapendo means love in Swahili. They are located in the South Kivu province and they have had to overcome numerous challenges, from economic and political unrest over the years, to the modern day challenges that has come with Covid, and most recently, a volcanic eruption that further delayed their shipment of coffee. We are fortunate that we received the call from Jim because not only did we get a great tasting coffee, we are able to directly have a positive impact for the women of the Mapendo Cooperative.
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