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
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