Fende Aziz 60 years old, Muslim
Aziz and his wife, in their front yard, under the shade of a mango tree. Photo: Rachel Namadousi, 2005
What does coffee mean to you and your family?
It is a source of income for the family. It has been a cash crop for the area for a long time. People in our area and out desire to drink coffee.
What are your hopes for the future?
My hopes are that the life of coffee farmers will soon change for the better as long as the quality improves.
What difference has Fair Trade made in your life?
There are fair prices with fair trade and payments are always on time, there are minimal middlemen who used to get a lot more commission than the farmers. Fair trade has made it easy for us to get first hand information on prices. We get also our bonus.
What does the Mirembe Kawomera Cooperative mean to your community?
We now work as a group without prejudices, this has enhanced a good working relationship in fighting poverty.
What does it mean when religions work together for peace in a world that’s often divided by religious violence?
It has demystified the misconception that Muslims do not work with others. It has created a sense of responsibility in solving some community issues, which cuts across all religions. And normally such problems can only be solved by peaceful coexistence.
What is the best thing about working together in a cooperative?
It leads to development and problem solving becomes easier. As for the case of coffee marketing, quality improvement is assured in other words there is quality assurance with cooperatives hence better price.