Our Story | Rafiki Coffee Notes

Our Story

For decades, my family has been growing coffee, tea and macadamia as the main source of livelihood. However, over the years, growing coffee has become very expensive due to poor returns and the overall cost of production. As such, we are committed to fair trade practices, ensuring that our farmers receive fair compensation for their hard work. By choosing Rafiki Coffee Notes, you’re not just enjoying a great cup of coffee, tea or snacking some fine macadamia nuts—you’re supporting sustainable coffee, tea and macadamia farming, fair prices and empowering coffee farming communities.

Community Development Initiatives:

Rafiki Coffee Notes will invest a portion of its profits back into the farming communities through community development projects. This will include contributing to building schools, improving healthcare facilities, or investing in infrastructure like clean water systems. By contributing to the overall well-being of the community, the company will help create a more sustainable and prosperous environment for the farmers and their families.

Our Community

The Heart of the Mountain and the Hills: A Story of Coffee, Tea & Macadamia Farmers in the slopes of Mt. Kenya and Nyambene Hills

Nestled along the fertile slopes of Mt. Kenya and Nyambene Hills, where the air is crisp and the soil rich with volcanic nutrients, lies a community of small and medium coffee farmers whose lives are deeply intertwined with the land they cultivate. For generations, these farmers have nurtured the coffee plants that grow under the protective shadow of Africa's second-highest peak, producing beans, leaves and nuts that are renowned for their exceptional quality and unique flavour profiles.

Each day begins early in the villages surrounding Mt. Kenya and Nyambene Hills, as the first light of dawn stretches across the rolling hills. Farmers rise with the sun, their hands calloused yet gentle as they tend to their coffee, tea and macadamia plants. These farmers, many of whom have inherited their land from their ancestors, understand the rhythms of the mountain. They know when to prune the plants, when to fertilise the soil, and most importantly, when to harvest the precious coffee cherries.

The harvest season is a time of both joy and hard work. The coffee cherries are picked by hand, one by one, to ensure only the ripest and most vibrant cherries make it to the next stage of processing. This meticulous attention to detail is what sets Kenyan coffee apart. The farmers take pride in their work, knowing that each bean, leaf and nut carries with it the legacy of their families and their livelihoods. Yet, the farmers remain humble. They know that their success is rooted in the mountain itself, in the land that has sustained them for generations. As they look to the future, they are committed to preserving the traditions that have brought them this far, while also embracing new opportunities that allow them to improve their livelihoods and continue sharing their coffee with the world.

As the sun sets behind the towering peak of Mt. Kenya, the farmers return to their homes, tired but content. They know that tomorrow will bring another day of hard work, but also the promise of a new harvest, and with it, the chance for better livelihoods.

Direct Partnerships

Rafiki Coffee Notes has established direct trade relationships with the coffee, macadamia and tea farmers, cutting out middlemen who often take a significant portion of the profits. By negotiating directly with the farmers or their cooperatives, Rafiki Coffee Notes always ensure that the farmers get the highest best possible prices for their coffee depending on prevailing market conditions at the time of sale. This not only promotes fair pricing but also fosters a stronger, more transparent relationship between the company and the farming communities.

Capacity Building

Rafiki Coffee Notes believes that Investing in training and capacity-building programs for the farmers will help them improve their farming practices, increase yields, and enhance the quality of their coffee. Through partnerships with relevant coffee bodies, Rafiki Coffee Notes provides a range of workshops on sustainable agriculture, efficient water use, and organic farming techniques. By empowering farmers with knowledge and skills, farmers will increase their yields and improve overall bean quality, thus better prices.

Fair Trade Certification

Partnering with Fair Trade organisations will help Rafiki Coffee Notes certify their coffee, macadamia and tea as Fair Trade. This ensures that the farmers receive a guaranteed minimum price for their coffee, which protects them from market fluctuations that can be devastating to their income. This incentivises farmers to produce the best possible coffee, knowing they will be rewarded for their efforts. The additional income from premium payments can be reinvested into the farms, improving productivity, sustainability, and overall quality of life for the farmers.