you are my sister

Aranga Coffee Group once told Rebeca about an independent non-profit in Tanzania, a financially self-reliant organisation called “Sisters of Our Lady Kilimanjaro” (the “Sisters”), a Roman Catholic congregation. Since its foundation in 1931, the sisters have run many educational and health programs. They began farming coffee in 1985 and have been employing their neighbors to help harvest and tend the coffee plants. Their coffee comes from two regions: the Moshi area and another near the Aranga Group, the Arusha region. At first, Rebecca approached them for consulting, but as soon as she realised their level of dedication, commitment, and ambition, another possibility came to mind. Although the sisters have put great effort and investment into their farm for many years, they could not find a reliable buyer willing to pay a reasonable price. This often meant a loss for them, given the high costs of inputs. Working with trustworthy parents has encouraged the sisters to increase their production from 10 to 100 acres in the coming years.

It’s great to see how their hard work has finally paid off! Here’s to this little convent and all the outstanding achievements!

CULTIVARS:

Arabica Bourbon (Jackson, Mbirizi) and Kent

ALTITUDE:

1,200 - 1,700 meters above sea level

NOTABLE:

Masista is a congregation of 730 nuns from the Roman Catholic Church. They own and operate the coffee farm and. harvest their coffee from two farms:

Tumami Farm: 16 hectares, 9407 coffee trees five permanent workers, and occasional hires for hard work. Some of the congregation members cannot do the heavy work because of age or sickness and therefore hire.

Huruma Farm: from which 15 people benefit and are members of the project. However, the 730 congregations member benefit directly or indirectly from coffee.

At Masisata they were able to downscale their production recently, mandating the price they deserve and managing quality.

PROCESSING:

fully washed and double fermentation: selective picking, pulping, meticulous fermentation, thoroughly washed, natural dry under tropical sun.