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A Trip to Africa: Intro - I'm going to Africa
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Intro: I'm Going to Africa
On January 12, I depart my comfortable home on the North Coast of California to visit coffee Farmers and Cooperatives in Rwanda and Uganda. I haven’t visited them on their home turf for almost a decade. Over the last several years Ben Corey Moran, our former Director of Coffee, deepened our relationships with Cooperative leaders and farmers in Africa. It is my intention that this visit will strengthen those ties.
I’ll be traveling with Nicholas Hoskyns of Etico, an import/export company that has imported our Nicaraguan coffees for the past two years. In 2004 he accompanied me to Rwanda on a USAID consulting job to help The Cooperative Coffee Sector plan its “cupping lab” construction project for cooperatives. He has a vast knowledge of Cooperatives and their organizational structures.The trip’s focus will be on collaboration: How can our relationship improve quality of life for both coffee farmers and coffee roasters? I believe that quality of life and quality of coffee go hand in hand. There has to be opportunity for a better life in all parts of the coffee trading chain, from the farm to the cup. It is the farmers’ love of their trees that makes good coffee great. Back here in Ft. Bragg , California, it is our pride in what we create for the coffee lover that makes great coffee remain great.
There are some sticky issues that need attention, which have made this trip necessary. Primarily, about crop financing, shipment dates, and creating a system of transparency that demystifies the transfer of money from Thanksgiving Coffee to the individual farmers.
I want to have a first person experience in discovery and learning. And I want to share this 10 day adventure with you. I use the word “adventure” with a certain amount of respect for its broad application. I am not “going on an adventure,” but I know it will be an adventure. What I wish for is the most uneventful yet spiritual adventure. No ceremonial high points and no high fives or WOW’S! I’m hoping for a low key visit with a slow easy gait, and a smile on my face when I return home.
To be continued…
-Paul
A Trip to Africa (series archive)
Day 2 – Dancing, Mango Trees & the Dry Mill
Day 4 – Transparency, Trust & Relationships
Day 5 - Coffee Quality & A New Mystery
Day 6 – The Mystery Coffee’s Story
Day 8 - Making the New Transparency Work
Recommended Reading
Back to the Blog-
![Delicious Peace Coffee: Honoring the Legacy, Continuing the Interfaith Journey]()
Banner: Florence Namaja Wabire, Coffee Farmer from Mirembe Kawomera, Uganda
A Cup That Carried More Than Coffee
When Paul Katzeff co-founded Thanksgiving Coffee in 1972, he carried with him the heart of a social worker who believed business could be a tool for justice. That vision led us, in the early 2000s, to a group of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim farmers in Mbale, Uganda. They called their cooperative Mirembe Kawomera—“Delicious Peace.”
For nearly two decades, we roasted their beans and shared their story. Each bag carried more than coffee; it carried proof that people of different faiths could work side by side, building better lives through collaboration.
What We Accomplished Together
With your purchases and support, Delicious Peace became more than a product—it became a movement.
- A $1 rebate per bag funded clean water filters for all 342 cooperative households, drastically reducing illness and freeing income for education and food.
- Clean Cook Stoves replaced traditional open-fire kitchens for the most vulnerable families, using one-tenth the fuel while directing smoke safely outside the home. These stoves reduced illness and burns, curbed deforestation, and became a model for climate resilience, women’s health, and rural job creation.
- Women and girls gained back hours of their days once spent collecting firewood.
- Most importantly, a community once divided grew into a living example of interfaith harmony.
For a dive deeper, the full journey is archived here:
Mirebe Kawomera, M'bale Uganda Photo by Paul Katzeff
Why Delicious Peace Coffee Is No Longer Available
We know this is disappointing news. Some of you first discovered Thanksgiving Coffee through Delicious Peace. We are grateful for every cup you brewed.
Over two decades, we built demand for this coffee from zero to 10,000 pounds a year. It wasn’t easy—the growth came through our own costly marketing of the interfaith story. But importing from Uganda required purchasing a full container, nearly 37,000 pounds. There was never a market for the remaining 27,000 pounds, so we absorbed the excess into other blends in order to keep bringing their coffee in.
Today, with a single container costing about $200,000, that model is no longer financially possible for us as a small, values-driven company. We had to rethink how we continue telling this inspirational interfaith coffee story without jeopardizing the health of our business. Rather than overextend ourselves financially and risk the integrity of our work, we chose to step back responsibly and allow the story to evolve in new ways.
The decision wasn’t easy. Delicious Peace was an extraordinary coffee grown in rich volcanic soil. But more than the flavor, it was the interfaith cooperation that made it truly special. And that is the part of the story that continues today.
Two Boys from Mirembe Kawamera peering out the window. Photo by Paul Katzeff
A New Chapter: Nabugoye Crafts
The spirit of Delicious Peace did not end when the coffee did. It found new soil, new forms, new voices.
One of the cooperative’s original founders, Sinina Namidosi, transformed her crochet skills into a thriving artisan collective. Visitors admired her headpieces—worn in both Muslim and Jewish traditions—and she began teaching other women. Soon, artisans across the community were creating beauty together across faith lines.
Living in rural Mbale meant limited market access. With seed funding from Thanksgiving Coffee and the entrepreneurial spirit of local partner John Elijah, the group registered a business, opened a bank account, and launched an online store. Today, Nabugoye Crafts ships worldwide.
👉 Visit Nabugoye Crafts
Each piece—whether a headpiece, accessory, or textile—carries the same message that once filled your cup: Jews, Christians, and Muslims working side by side, creating beauty, and sustaining their families with dignity.
No Substitution, Only Continuation
There is no true substitute for Delicious Peace. What made it extraordinary wasn’t only the beans, it was the unity behind them. That story now continues through Nabugoye Crafts. By supporting these artisans, you’re keeping the spirit of Delicious Peace alive—helping women earn income, sustain their households, and model interfaith harmony for the next generation.
Fun note: Smithsonian Folkways recording Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music and Interfaith Harmony in Uganda.
With Gratitude
To all who supported Delicious Peace over the years: thank you. You funded clean water, you stood for interfaith peace, and you proved that coffee can be a force for justice. While the coffee itself is no longer on our shelves, the story lives on—now in the hands of Ugandan women artisans whose work is as purposeful as it is beautiful.
With gratitude,
The Thanksgiving Coffee Family
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Delicious Peace Coffee: Honoring the Legacy, Continuing the Interfaith Journey
read more -
![Namanyonyi Co-op United A Community]()
Namanyonyi Co-op united a community
The wheels were set in motion many years ago when Thanksgiving Coffee began our work with the Ugandan Coffee Cooperative “Delicious Peace” to bring their Interfaith coffee to market. For those of you who have been following us on this unique journey, we want to share another perspective. It is an article written by an organization that understands cooperatives are run by people, and people have many ups and downs.
"We love this story of multiple faiths helping each other, moving beyond personal beliefs"
Child from the "Delicious Peace" Coffee Cooperative in Uganda.
The author is Rebecca Harvey, the executive editor of Co-operative News. She was very intrigued about the journey this cooperative has been on and contacted Thanksgiving to learn about our involvement. We had the opportunity to speak with her and share our story. We also learned that Co-op News has been around for over 150 years to support the communication between all the many cooperatives in England, and now the World.
Sorting green coffee at Namanyonyi Co-op.
The Article For You To Read:
How A Coffee Co-op United A Community – And Was Reborn After A Leadership Crisis
More of our history with the Delicious Peace Cooperative:
2009: Delicious Peace Moves Forward
2014: A Trip To Africa
2020: Delicious Peace Coffee: A New Story
2023: Evolution of Change
Where it all began - the Delicious Peace Coffee
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company.
Namanyonyi Co-op United A Community
read more
Banner: Florence Namaja Wabire, Coffee Farmer from Mirembe Kawomera, Uganda
A Cup That Carried More Than Coffee
When Paul Katzeff co-founded Thanksgiving Coffee in 1972, he carried with him the heart of a social worker who believed business could be a tool for justice. That vision led us, in the early 2000s, to a group of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim farmers in Mbale, Uganda. They called their cooperative Mirembe Kawomera—“Delicious Peace.”
For nearly two decades, we roasted their beans and shared their story. Each bag carried more than coffee; it carried proof that people of different faiths could work side by side, building better lives through collaboration.
What We Accomplished Together
With your purchases and support, Delicious Peace became more than a product—it became a movement.
- A $1 rebate per bag funded clean water filters for all 342 cooperative households, drastically reducing illness and freeing income for education and food.
- Clean Cook Stoves replaced traditional open-fire kitchens for the most vulnerable families, using one-tenth the fuel while directing smoke safely outside the home. These stoves reduced illness and burns, curbed deforestation, and became a model for climate resilience, women’s health, and rural job creation.
- Women and girls gained back hours of their days once spent collecting firewood.
- Most importantly, a community once divided grew into a living example of interfaith harmony.
For a dive deeper, the full journey is archived here:
Mirebe Kawomera, M'bale Uganda Photo by Paul Katzeff
Why Delicious Peace Coffee Is No Longer Available
We know this is disappointing news. Some of you first discovered Thanksgiving Coffee through Delicious Peace. We are grateful for every cup you brewed.
Over two decades, we built demand for this coffee from zero to 10,000 pounds a year. It wasn’t easy—the growth came through our own costly marketing of the interfaith story. But importing from Uganda required purchasing a full container, nearly 37,000 pounds. There was never a market for the remaining 27,000 pounds, so we absorbed the excess into other blends in order to keep bringing their coffee in.
Today, with a single container costing about $200,000, that model is no longer financially possible for us as a small, values-driven company. We had to rethink how we continue telling this inspirational interfaith coffee story without jeopardizing the health of our business. Rather than overextend ourselves financially and risk the integrity of our work, we chose to step back responsibly and allow the story to evolve in new ways.
The decision wasn’t easy. Delicious Peace was an extraordinary coffee grown in rich volcanic soil. But more than the flavor, it was the interfaith cooperation that made it truly special. And that is the part of the story that continues today.
Two Boys from Mirembe Kawamera peering out the window. Photo by Paul Katzeff
A New Chapter: Nabugoye Crafts
The spirit of Delicious Peace did not end when the coffee did. It found new soil, new forms, new voices.
One of the cooperative’s original founders, Sinina Namidosi, transformed her crochet skills into a thriving artisan collective. Visitors admired her headpieces—worn in both Muslim and Jewish traditions—and she began teaching other women. Soon, artisans across the community were creating beauty together across faith lines.
Living in rural Mbale meant limited market access. With seed funding from Thanksgiving Coffee and the entrepreneurial spirit of local partner John Elijah, the group registered a business, opened a bank account, and launched an online store. Today, Nabugoye Crafts ships worldwide.
👉 Visit Nabugoye Crafts
Each piece—whether a headpiece, accessory, or textile—carries the same message that once filled your cup: Jews, Christians, and Muslims working side by side, creating beauty, and sustaining their families with dignity.
No Substitution, Only Continuation
There is no true substitute for Delicious Peace. What made it extraordinary wasn’t only the beans, it was the unity behind them. That story now continues through Nabugoye Crafts. By supporting these artisans, you’re keeping the spirit of Delicious Peace alive—helping women earn income, sustain their households, and model interfaith harmony for the next generation.
Fun note: Smithsonian Folkways recording Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music and Interfaith Harmony in Uganda.
With Gratitude
To all who supported Delicious Peace over the years: thank you. You funded clean water, you stood for interfaith peace, and you proved that coffee can be a force for justice. While the coffee itself is no longer on our shelves, the story lives on—now in the hands of Ugandan women artisans whose work is as purposeful as it is beautiful.
With gratitude,
The Thanksgiving Coffee Family
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Delicious Peace Coffee: Honoring the Legacy, Continuing the Interfaith Journey
read more
Namanyonyi Co-op united a community
The wheels were set in motion many years ago when Thanksgiving Coffee began our work with the Ugandan Coffee Cooperative “Delicious Peace” to bring their Interfaith coffee to market. For those of you who have been following us on this unique journey, we want to share another perspective. It is an article written by an organization that understands cooperatives are run by people, and people have many ups and downs.
"We love this story of multiple faiths helping each other, moving beyond personal beliefs"
Child from the "Delicious Peace" Coffee Cooperative in Uganda.
The author is Rebecca Harvey, the executive editor of Co-operative News. She was very intrigued about the journey this cooperative has been on and contacted Thanksgiving to learn about our involvement. We had the opportunity to speak with her and share our story. We also learned that Co-op News has been around for over 150 years to support the communication between all the many cooperatives in England, and now the World.
Sorting green coffee at Namanyonyi Co-op.
The Article For You To Read:
How A Coffee Co-op United A Community – And Was Reborn After A Leadership Crisis
More of our history with the Delicious Peace Cooperative:
2009: Delicious Peace Moves Forward
2014: A Trip To Africa
2020: Delicious Peace Coffee: A New Story
2023: Evolution of Change
Where it all began - the Delicious Peace Coffee
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company.