Sinina Namudosi 22 years old, Muslim, joined Peace Kawomera in 2004
Photo: Holly Moskowitz, 2009
What does Peace Kawomera mean to you?
Peace Kawomera is an organization that has helped my family to become part of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim community. The cooperative has improved standards of living in my family and the community. We constructed permanent structures for our house.
What was life like before Peace Kawomera?
Life was difficult in that we didn’t have any income generated. Standards of living were low. Different faiths couldn’t sit together and share ideas, but now we sit at the same table and share. Students were just sitting at home, but now students can pay school fees when they need and if they don’t have the money then get the money from the cooperative and pay it back later.
What has been the greatest change in your life since joining Peace Kawomera?
We are working together, different tribes and different religions, together.
What do you do when you are not harvesting coffee?
We make bricks for income, and grow maize and beans. We wait for the coffee to come. We also make crafts like kippot.
Did you face any religious discrimination before Peace Kawomera formed?
During my generation not so much, but I heard stories of time of Idai Amin, and how he would force people to be Muslim.
Can you give an example of how peace Kawomera has changed the way one religious group treats another religious group in your area?
Since Peace Kawomera started, Muslims can now go to a church and Christians can go to the mosque. During meetings, everyone can share ideas to develop the community.
What does Fair Trade mean to you?
Something that is working together with buyers and growers/farmers so no one gets cheated. Fair Trade is about working directly with farmers and consumers.