Coffee Kids Partnership: The First Chapter in Maritza’s Story
Maritza’s story with Coffee Kids blossomed through an organization called UNIOCAFE. UNIOCAFE is a local farmer organization in the Trifinio region that has partnered with Coffee Kids to implement the like-minded vision of improving the livelihoods of young coffee producers in the region. Maritza and her siblings were drawn to UNIOCAFE after learning about it from fellow youth in the area. The youth were motivated, empowered and had goals and plans for their futures. It was something that Maritza and her siblings wanted to be a part of.
The UNIOCAFE youth committee opened Maritza’s eyes to the many ways that you can leverage coffee, aside from just farming it. She participated in entrepreneurial training, hands-on workshops and mentorship programs that taught her coffee best practices. The support provided by UNIOCAFE instilled a new sense of confidence in Maritza and her three siblings, leading them to take a leap of faith and launch their very own coffee company – Keolmas Coffee.
At the age of 19, Maritza has now been running Keolmas Coffee with her siblings for over a year. The name of their company was inspired by a combination of their first initials, plus the farm where they grow the coffee, Las Pozas. Maritza and her siblings handle the farming, harvesting, and processing of the coffee themselves, and they outsource the roasting and packaging for now, until they have the equipment required to do it themselves. Additionally, they sell Keolmas Coffee at local coffee fairs & events, to neighbors, and by orders from some companies.
We checked in to see the progress of their harvest for this year, and we’re happy to report that it’s going very well. The weather over the winter has been excellent and the cherries are looking vigorous. They’re hoping for a quality harvest to support their business. We’ll have more next time, so be sure to check back for the next chapter of Maritza’s story!
