Rashidt Muzinzibali 30 years old, Catholic, joined Peace Kawomera in 2007
Do you feel that there are things you were once deprived of that you think you should have had access to?
There are hardships in terms of water. We must move downstream to get the water. It is heavy to carry and not always there. Also in health care; we had to travel to town. The hard work of JJ though has provided water and healthcare through Fair Trade.
How would many farmers be living now had they not been exposed to the benefits of Fair Trade?
Peace Kawomera keeps people informed. There are many trainings through Peace Kawomera. Before Peace Kawomera the agenda was solely coffee. Now they have expanded to mosquito/malaria prevention, advice on nets, diabetes education and HIV/AIDs workshops and testing.
Should farmers be able to set a price for their coffee?
The farmers should have a say in it because the farmer knows how much work he puts into his crop.
Fair Trade is supposed to instill stability within the lives of producers. What areas of your life are now more “stable” due to Fair Trade?
Malaria control has made preventing malaria more stable.
Fairly traded products are not the majority of products that are sold in the United States. Do you think Americans would stop buying UNFAIRLY traded products if they knew more about Fair Trade? Why?
People in America should buy Fair Trade products. They should want to strengthen relationships with farmers who grow their crop.