Wafuba Taibu 55 years old, Muslim, joined Peace Kawomera in 2005
Do you feel that there are things you were once deprived of that you think you should have had access to?
Roads and electricity are the biggest ones. There is still no power in many villages.
How would many farmers be living now had they not been exposed to the benefits of Fair Trade?
Life would be hard. I could not deliver my crop to the marketplace. With Peace Kawomera I take it directly to the cooperative, which is accessible.
Should farmers be able to set a price for their coffee?
Given all the hardships involved in growing our crop and the time it takes, by the time the harvest comes farmers should have an input or stake in the price for their 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?
There is consistency in the market of the coffee, which has never been there in the past. Fair Trade has assisted me in knowing exactly what the market wants in the coffee. The standards are clear. Drying racks are best for taste. We have also learned to work with other people without any biases.
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?
Fair Trade deals with organic productions which are concerned with people’s lives. So people should buy Fair Trade to protect lives.