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Coffee and Community in Yemen
Welcome to the Coffee Trader, a sustainable business that is successful and growing in Sana'a, Yemen
Yemen,
Mar 22, 2010
Welcome to the Coffee Trader! The quiet courtyard garden and comfortable sitting rooms provide a welcome escape from the crowded streets of Sana’a Yemen.
The Coffee Trader opened its doors on March 22, 2007 and has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists. The friendly staff, fresh-ground coffee, wireless internet access and warm environment make the Coffee Trader the perfect place to catch up on email, connect with old friends or make new ones.
HISG funded about one-third of the start-up costs for the Coffee Trader as a means to provide jobs for local Yemeni and build community in Sana’a. In Yemen 43% of the residents earn less than $2 (US) per day, so HISG started with the goal of launching a sustainable business that could provide jobs and help workers learn skills. During a recent HISG visit to Sana’a, we were encouraged both by the café’s high volume of customers as well as the wide variety of visitors. Thanks in part to the emphasis on quality, business has been booming, and the shop is now operating at 100% profitability. Families, businessmen, students, and couples of all ages and nationalities dropped in for the freshest coffee in the city.
One example of how the Coffee Trader deals with the difficulties of Yemeni culture is the women-only sitting room. Women in Yemen are held captive by huge gender inequities in education, employment opportunities, health care, and general social status. For a local business to give women a place of their own restores a sense of dignity and humanity that they do not have in other parts of the city.
The staff is made up entirely of local Yemenis. The coffee beans are all grown in Yemen and ground right there in the café, ensuring that customers at the Coffee Trader get the best cup of coffee available. After you order your normal brew, French press, latte, mocha, espresso or tea, they will bring your perfectly prepared hot drink directly to your table, inside or outside.
HISG is proud of the financial success of the Coffee Trader, but we are even more excited about the shop being established as a permanent fixture in the Sana’a landscape. The Coffee Trader directly provides work and skills training for the employees in the café, supports local agriculture and coffee growers, and also gives customers a calm retreat from everyday busyness. We look forward to more projects in Yemen and other underdeveloped nations that can mirror the Coffee Trader’s success.
Related Projects Here is the project associated with this news story.
Yemen - Country Profile, 2006
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Humanitarian International Services Group | 870 Commercial Lane, Palmer Lake, CO 80133 Phone:(303) 662-0845 | HISG is a non-profit 501(c)3 tax exempt organization
Humanitarian International Services Group | 870 Commercial Lane, Palmer Lake, CO 80133 Phone:(303) 662-0845 | HISG is a non-profit 501(c)3 tax exempt organization