Wotti Elisa 25 years old, Christian
Elisa takes a break from weeding his tomato patch. Photo: Rachel Namadousi, 2005
What does coffee mean to you and your family?
It means an income generating activity, it is an investment in which one can reap profits.
What are your hopes for the future?
My hopes are to improve on the household and community income.
What difference has Fair Trade made in your life?
Farmers have been encouraged because of the prices and have improved their output.
What does the Mirembe Kawomera Cooperative mean to your community?
There is unity amongst the people, they have a common goal, they share responsibilities, they have a sense on community ownership of projects, they struggle to make their programs succeed.
What does it mean when religions work together for peace in a world that’s often divided by religious violence?
Before we used to take Jews as enemies who killed Jesus Christ, and Muslims as violent people, we used not to work with them, but we have tasted with time, that our community problems are the same regardless of religion. Therefore working together has made us clear the misconceived ideas and we have tasted the fruits of working together.
What is the best thing about working together in a cooperative?
We can gain a lot in the forms of monetary and equipment acquisition. Cooperatives can make our communities develop.