Our collaboration with NUCAFE, the union of small coffee farmers in Uganda, enabled and enable to support thousands of families of farmers with fair prices, pre-financing without interest, accelerated payments and other benefits.
This collaboration led to Omukwano brand, that means "friendship" in Luganda language, which characterizes
immediately the origin.
Having read and appreciated what NUCAFE for years was, in 2008 we contacted them to identify the best ways to support their work of improving the lives of coffee farmers. On 22/01/2009 we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with whom were written what we wanted to accomplish together.
But we came in late to organize at least an import: farmers, pressed by the continuing financial needs, had already sold their crop to middlemen. So we put ourselves the objective of organizing for the following year, in due time, a series of purchases; meanwhile, NUCAFE was being taken for months to raise awareness among farmers towards this opportunity, trying to prevent a production hemorrhaging sold at low prices. Considering, however, that the mirage of an economic advantage is not sufficient in itself, but it was important that farmers personally encounter and gave us confidence in our project, we arranged with NUCAFE a trip to Uganda.
Between 20 and 28 March 2010 we met hundreds of farmers and representatives of farmers in different areas of the center and south of the country: Nsangi, Bunjakko, Bushenyi, Masaka, Kibinge, Lwamagwa. Wherever we found people very interested to our proposal, but above they were interested to the challenge to which they were called: to produce the highest quality coffee in exchange for certainty and fair remuneration.
We were very impressed by the friendliness of the people, by their dignity and their composed behavior, and also by the continuous appreciation that they showed us for coming between them in their territory.
We were also impressed by the beauty of many plantations.
During our busy week in Uganda, we have tried every opportunity to highlight any critical issues, to try to give a concrete answer to every need and make the project sustainable.
Back in the capital city of Kampala, from all our experiences, considerations and proposals arose a framework agreement, signed on March 27, 2010, between Caffè River and NUCAFE.
Our collaboration has continued with success over the years, giving hope to Ugandan farmers with the arrival in Europe of more than 600,000 pounds of coffee.
Thanks to the interest in our project by Professor of Catholic University in Milan, professor Molteni, was offered to Joseph Nkandu, director of NUCAFE, a scholarship for an MBA at Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya.
By effective partnership between Caffè River and NUCAFE it was born a coffee shop, which has been called "Omukago" (a name that refers to an ancient ritual of blood brotherhood in the midst of coffee), in the center of Kampala.
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