Day 3 - The Coffee Experience
Dylan Hawxhurst - 05/22/2019
Day three in Guatemala and my time her has been amazing. Each day has brought its own experiences to add up to an irreplaceable trip. Today we traveled to San Miguel to visit a non-for-profit called De La Gente. De La Gente works with small-holder coffee farmers and cooperatives in Guatemala to create economic opportunities that improve the quality of life for their families and communities. Upon arrival, we met Keara, head of development, who would bring us through the town to meet up with Gabriel. Gabriel is a farmer apart of one of the cooperatives and would be taking us up the volcano to see his coffee bean plantation. After a long hike up, we made it to his plantation where he explained the difference between a ripened fruit that’s ready to be picked and fruit that still needs to grow. Once picked he explained the whole process from extracting the beans (or seeds) from the fruit to making a pot of coffee with it. After visiting his plantation, we traveled back down the volcano to Gabriel‘s house where we saw a bean after it went through drying, fermentation, and so on. Next, we roasted the beans with his wife on the stove, and from there delivered the beans to grind them down by hand. The aroma that emitted from this process made the whole house smell amazing and it blew me away! From here they roasted the coffee for us to have with a homemade lunch his wife prepared for us. To my surprise, I enjoyed the coffee because it wasn’t tart like the coffee’s I often drink. This is coming from a non-coffee drinker, so I am still in shock that I enjoyed it!
Next, we visited another amazing organization called Common Hope, whose works with Guatemalan families to provide the resources needed to achieve better lives. They believe there’s more to an education than supplies, so from healthcare to housing, becoming more starts with doing more. They offer to pay all costs required to attend school from kindergarten to twelfth grade, and as an incentive to keep these kids in school, they offer healthcare, dental care, tutoring, temporary housing, and so much more at no costs.
Both organizations are truly making a difference in the lives of men and women (and the rest of their families) and will help change Guatemalans perspective on school. Today was another beautiful experience that blew my mind and the rest of my GLOBE fellows.
Day three in Guatemala and my time her has been amazing. Each day has brought its own experiences to add up to an irreplaceable trip. Today we traveled to San Miguel to visit a non-for-profit called De La Gente. De La Gente works with small-holder coffee farmers and cooperatives in Guatemala to create economic opportunities that improve the quality of life for their families and communities. Upon arrival, we met Keara, head of development, who would bring us through the town to meet up with Gabriel. Gabriel is a farmer apart of one of the cooperatives and would be taking us up the volcano to see his coffee bean plantation. After a long hike up, we made it to his plantation where he explained the difference between a ripened fruit that’s ready to be picked and fruit that still needs to grow. Once picked he explained the whole process from extracting the beans (or seeds) from the fruit to making a pot of coffee with it. After visiting his plantation, we traveled back down the volcano to Gabriel‘s house where we saw a bean after it went through drying, fermentation, and so on. Next, we roasted the beans with his wife on the stove, and from there delivered the beans to grind them down by hand. The aroma that emitted from this process made the whole house smell amazing and it blew me away! From here they roasted the coffee for us to have with a homemade lunch his wife prepared for us. To my surprise, I enjoyed the coffee because it wasn’t tart like the coffee’s I often drink. This is coming from a non-coffee drinker, so I am still in shock that I enjoyed it!
Next, we visited another amazing organization called Common Hope, whose works with Guatemalan families to provide the resources needed to achieve better lives. They believe there’s more to an education than supplies, so from healthcare to housing, becoming more starts with doing more. They offer to pay all costs required to attend school from kindergarten to twelfth grade, and as an incentive to keep these kids in school, they offer healthcare, dental care, tutoring, temporary housing, and so much more at no costs.
Both organizations are truly making a difference in the lives of men and women (and the rest of their families) and will help change Guatemalans perspective on school. Today was another beautiful experience that blew my mind and the rest of my GLOBE fellows.
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