Coffee Kids ^®, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help coffee-growing families become less dependent on coffee — a volatile global commodity — as their sole source of income. Through education and economic diversification, Coffee Kids works with coffee-growing communities to build durable local economies, create economic opportunities, and stabilize family incomes.

In FY ’09, we supported the following programs with Coffee Kids:
• Four different projects in five communities surrounding Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.  We worked with APROS, the Association of Health Promoters of San Pedro to bring medical services to 5 communities including San Pedro, San Juan, San Pablo, and San Marcos la Laguna

• A comprehensive program focused on food sovereignty in 7 communities in Veracruz, Mexico.  The program consisted of trainings on nutrition, herbal medicines, family gardens, and promotion of local, natural foods versus fast food and junk food.  Over 2,800 people from seven communities participated in seventeen different workshops.  Weekly radio programs promoted the results of the program on food sovereignty to an audience of 300,000.

• A microcredit and saving program and a rural education project in a community in Matagalpa, Nicaragua representing more than 2,500 farmers.  In all, nearly 700 individuals have participated in 29 microcredit and savings groups representing a combined savings of $46,660.  Additionally, over 200 scholarships were awarded to students at the high school, university, and technical school levels.  Each scholarship saved the beneficiary’s family 45% of the school expenses.

• A microcredit program in San Gaspar Chajul, Guatemala serving indigenous women from three communities. In FY ’09, the participating women nearly doubled the size of the program, obtained legal status for their organization, and designated $10,000 USD as seed capital.

• A health awareness project in Vilcabamba, Peru, home to approximately 8,500 coffee-farming families.  In FY ’09, our support helped deliver kits, equipment, first aid materials, and medicines for general illnesses to 5 communities benefiting nearly 400 families.

• Community-based initiatives in Oaxaca, Mexico, such as a microcredit and savings program that initiated projects in seven new communities in FY ’09.  The new groups – eight in all with sixty-four beneficiaries – received $5,000 in seed capital along with financial planning training.