Sheer joy is perhaps the best way to describe Sister Maria Rosa’s reaction to receiving a $2000 check from the Marquette University, student-run coffee Project, and Buena Vida Coffee this past January.
In mid-January, Buena Vida Coffee traveled along with Marquette University GMB to present its first check to Sister Maria Rosa Leggol at the Nuevo Paraiso compound. The $2,000 is the first of many checks that will continue to support the children at the Sociedad Amigos de los Niños orphanage in Honduras.
Currently, Sister and her organization are deciding the best way to use the funds. They will most likely put the money towards the Reyes Irene Valenzuela Training Center that provides primary and secondary education, job skill training, health education, medical care and legal support to over 400 girls, ages 12-17.
Global Brigades already funds the Reyes Irene project, donating over $50,000 to their operations and developing their Community Health Worker Curriculum. In addition, many students and graduates of the school work alongside Global Medical Brigade volunteers to deliver health and preventive care workshops.
Not only do Buena Vida Coffee sales impact the lives of the children at Sociedad Amigos de los Niños, but they also bring significant economic opportunity to coffee growing communities in Honduras. During a recent visit to the village of Hoya Grande, coffee farmer, Fausto Padilla, explained that growing organic coffee not only allows farmers to command a higher price for the beans, but also ensures that the community and the land are healthy and sustainable. By using fermented coffee cherries as fertilizer, farmers reuse natural resources and promote clean drinking water, biodiversity, and sustainable farming.
Certainly, the impact and success of Buena Vida Coffee would not be possible without the help and commitment of Global Brigades and the student leaders who have taken part in the fundraising program. This year, some of the most successful fundraisers were hosted by University of Arizona, Indiana University, University of Texas, UC-Berkeley, Puget Sound, Georgetown, ASU, UVA, Penn State, Marquette University and UNC. Yet, it is thanks to all of the student groups that Buena Vida Coffee and Global Brigades are able to work side by side to create a sustainable impact in under-served Honduran communities.
Learn more about Buena Vida Coffee and how you can fundraise for your group, visit: www.buenavidacoffee.com or contact info@buenavidacoffee.com
Find out how other groups ran a successful coffee fundraising sale. Contact a Buena Vida Coffee Ambassador:
• Ellie Guzzardo at gabrielleguzzardo89@gmail.com – Marquette University GMB
• Eve Ackerley at eve.ackerley@gmail.com – Berkeley GAB
• Madeline Makielski at mmmakiel@imail.iu.edu – Indiana University GMB
