If you know me very well at all, you know I’m a coffee addict, I mean affectionado. It’s become quite a joke around Suncrest. I even had a guy harassing me after church the other day about it saying he couldn’t believe I would be at Starbucks drinking “foo foo” drinks. I didn’t tell him that I actually drink regular coffee there. I let him have his laugh.
Anyway, I stumbled upon this company last month called Land of a Thousand Hills. They are a coffee bean supplier that is ministry oriented. Essentially they roast beans only from Rwanda and every pound you buy between $2.62 and $3.00 goes back to Rwanda to help finance the coffee growers businesses.
Now you may ask why that is a big deal. Here’s why. Rwanda is a country ravaged by genocide. The vast majority of women living there have been raped and left husbandless. In the wake of this tragedy, Land of a Thousand Hills is helping these widows support themselves by financing coffee growing businesses. You can read more about it here.
When I first heard about this I knew I had to at least try their coffee. This morning I’m sipping my first cup and it is excellent. And it wasn’t anymore than what I was spending on coffee anyway. It’s a win win situation in my mind. Initiatives like this are exactly what is needed in our day. A ministry like this is implementing the timeless principle of don’t just give a man a fish, but teach him how to fish. And it’s exactly what I believe God would have Christ followers doing.
Now back to my coffee…
I think the money going back to Rwanda does more than fund coffee growers. They finance micro loans to people with other ambitions. As little as $50 could set someone up with a produce market. After all, the whole country isn’t interested in coffee growing and there are plenty of other small business opportunities
Awesome. Wasn’t aware of that. Thanks for pointing it out. That’s even better.