** This information from this blog was gathered while in Boliva and completed this month while here in Albania, and we are heading to Romania Monday. Needless to say, its a bit late getting posted, but I think it’s an important one. Enjoy (and drink some coffee)! **
I wrote in a previous blog about how the International
Orphanage Union (IOU) here in Bolivia uses Café Ole to support its orphanages
around Cochabamba. This blog explores another business venture that they have
started to support their ministry.
Bolivia’s Best Coffee began in 2006 with the sole purpose of
“providing Christian homes and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the
orphaned and abandoned children of Bolivia.” The hope is that sales of
Bolivia’s Best will cover all the orphan related expenses from running an IOU
orphanage in Cochabamba.
This gourmet coffee is grown in the Andes Mountains at
around 5900 feet above sea level by a co-op of over 1,500 family farmers. This
region is known for growing some of the finest coffee in Latin America. The
coffee is grown in Bolivia and exported to Michigan where an authorizer
produces and ships the coffee to customers in the states. Each bag is sold for
$10, with 100% of the profit (roughly $8/bag) going towards the orphanages in
Cochabamba. Some of the flavors offered include: Gourmet blend, Gourmet Decaf,
Dutch Chocolate, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut. Each bag of coffee sold supports
one orphan for a week!
I had the privilege of working with a missionary couple,
John Mark and Weatherly (they went to Auburn so we bonded over SEC football),
who moved down to Cochabamba to help promote and market the coffee and help it
to take off. The goal down the road is to completely fund all of the IOU
orphanages in Cochabamba, build more orphanages, and even continue the ministry
in other parts of Latin America. Their passion for the ministry is incredible,
and I really enjoyed having them share with me their marketing ideas (tshirts,
college campus partnerships, local coffee shop promotions, etc) and clear vision
for the project.
Here is how you can help…buy some coffee! This is the main
source of income for IOU for funding the orphanages. If you like gourmet
coffee, why not buy a bag and help feed orphans? I can personally vouch that
this coffee is delicious (and I consider myself a coffee snob); we actually
have it every morning here in Cochabamba with breakfast. If you would like to
find out more about this coffee ministry, please check out the website:
Cheers, and enjoy the
coffee!
…P.S. Mom, Dad, I
wouldn’t be complaining if a few bags are waiting for me when I get home in
eight months. Buy Steven good coffee. Feed orphans. Deal?
Proof that I’m a serious coffee drinker…
