About Amaro Gayo
A little about us
Amaro Gayo Coffee is an
established coffee farming business, producing hand-picked and ethically
sourced specialty, organic ‘arabica’ coffee for export all over the world,
helping our outgrowers access an income.
Amaro Gayo Coffee was founded in 2005 by Asnakech Thomas, the first Ethiopian female coffee producer, miller and direct exporter.
Our prime objective is to improve the livelihoods and the well-being of the people of Amaro, especially women. Amaro invests in training for farmers and replanting programs. Our award-winning organisation supplies organic coffee produced in the Amaro Mountains, in Southern Ethiopia
Amaro Gayo Coffee was founded in 2005 by Asnakech Thomas, the first Ethiopian female coffee producer, miller and direct exporter.
Our prime objective is to improve the livelihoods and the well-being of the people of Amaro, especially women. Amaro invests in training for farmers and replanting programs. Our award-winning organisation supplies organic coffee produced in the Amaro Mountains, in Southern Ethiopia
The Amaro people
The
Amaro people, now numbering about two hundred thousand, are said to have come
from the Christian north, in the Amhara region around Gonder many years ago;
and Asnakech is very interested in improving the living conditions for the
people of Amaro district where she was brought up. Through the help of Soldaridad and USAID,
training, awareness about HIV AIDS and other health matters have been brought
to a large group of coffee farmers and their households in Amaro.
Although nationally great improvements in health have been achieved, health care remains a problem as well as many other districts in rural Ethiopia. Asnakech’s enduring ambition for Amaro is that a hospital can be established there, especially to help mothers-to-be and their young children. Many have to travel to the large town of Dilla more than 116 kilometers away. Often these women never return because birth incidents occur along the way; this indeed happened to her elder sister Zawditu and her baby.
Although nationally great improvements in health have been achieved, health care remains a problem as well as many other districts in rural Ethiopia. Asnakech’s enduring ambition for Amaro is that a hospital can be established there, especially to help mothers-to-be and their young children. Many have to travel to the large town of Dilla more than 116 kilometers away. Often these women never return because birth incidents occur along the way; this indeed happened to her elder sister Zawditu and her baby.
Just
as it was in Europe and America until the beginning of the twentieth century,
childbirth and fistula remain dangerous facts of life for many young women in
the countryside of Ethiopia, and in other developing countries, because of the
lack of ante-natal care and midwifery services.
For the Amaro Gayo Buna sites there are employed about 30 full-time workers, but for the coffee production months from October to March each year, there are usually another 300 seasonal workers, mainly at Kore Biko and Derba Menana. Most of them are women and girls, so Asnakech is very familiar with their domestic and health matters. Asnakech says “My door is always open and they often talk to me about their difficulties”.
In the countryside the womenfolk are the real organizers of the families’ affairs, health, and education for children; they are the ones that need help. Therefore, in Amaro district, Asnakech runs her own fairtrade, coffee pricing scheme for over 4 cooperating, registered farmers. It is known as ‘cash in the pocket!’
For the Amaro Gayo Buna sites there are employed about 30 full-time workers, but for the coffee production months from October to March each year, there are usually another 300 seasonal workers, mainly at Kore Biko and Derba Menana. Most of them are women and girls, so Asnakech is very familiar with their domestic and health matters. Asnakech says “My door is always open and they often talk to me about their difficulties”.
In the countryside the womenfolk are the real organizers of the families’ affairs, health, and education for children; they are the ones that need help. Therefore, in Amaro district, Asnakech runs her own fairtrade, coffee pricing scheme for over 4 cooperating, registered farmers. It is known as ‘cash in the pocket!’
Our vision & mission
To be one of the
most reliable company with its quality in the coffee industry.