Women have the potential to empower and transform lives in coffee- and tea-growing communities.
Since International Women’s Day 2018, The Starbucks Foundation has been working toward a goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in origin communities by 2025. This effort has already made a difference in the lives of more than 66,000 women through programs around women’s leadership, access to finance, and healthy homes in coffee- and tea-growing communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Over the past year, The Starbucks Foundation has awarded additional Origin Grants to help continue to break down barriers to education, promote clean water and sanitation (WASH), and create economic opportunities for women and girls. This brings the total number of foundation grantees working in coffee and tea-growing communities to 18, with grants totaling more than $5 million.
The Starbucks Foundation 2020 Origin Grants recipients include:
Days for Girls | Kenya, 2020 – 2022
To empower 15,000 women and girls in Kenya’s tea communities through sustainable menstrual kits, health education, and social enterprises that shatter stigmas and create dignity and opportunity. The program will promote menstrual hygiene awareness, increased access to supplies, local advocates, and income generating opportunities for women and girls.
Girl Rising | India, 2019 – 2020
To create a new curriculum focused on changing gender norms and building skills for women and girls from tea estates in Assam, India. In partnership with Barefoot College, the program will equip teachers and strengthen the self-confidence, leadership and life skills of 1,500 adolescent girls from tea estates.
Grounds for Health | Ethiopia, 2020 – 2022
To improve access to life saving health screening services in coffee communities in Ethiopia to reach and break barriers for more than 30,000 women. Through expansion of health centers, delivery of health screening equipment and skill building for local health workers, the program will help early detection and treatment of cervical cancer in coffee-producing communities.
Instituto del Café de Costa Rica (ICAFE) | Costa Rica, 2019 – 2022
To support safe places for children of migrant coffee pickers to stay during the day with nutritional resources and educational games and tools that promote improved hygiene and well-being at Casas de la Alegria. ICAFE and local partners will offer Health Week programming that will serve over 800 girls and boys who are three years old and above, teaching and encouraging them to adopt health and hygiene behaviors.
Malala Fund | Brazil and Ethiopia, 2020 – 2021
To invest in and partner with local education leaders and innovators working to advance girls’ education in Ethiopia and Brazil. Support will help advocates in creating girl-friendly school environments in Ethiopia and improving resources, girls’ access to education and retention in school in Brazil.
Mercy Corps | India, 2020 – 2022
To improve the living conditions of tea-growing communities in Assam, India through improved clean water and circular sanitation solutions including infrastructure, education and behavior change. This pilot program will create a scalable sanitation model while providing access to sanitation infrastructure and water supply for 300 households and training more than 3,800 women and their families in sanitation and hygiene practices.
Village Enterprise | Kenya, 2020 – 2022
To equip more than 2,000 women in tea growing regions of Kenya with the knowledge, tools and mentorship to start sustainable businesses and savings groups. The entrepreneurship program also includes business skills and financial literacy training and mentorship and will support women in launching more than 700 new small businesses.
2019 Origin Grant recipients
The Starbucks Foundation 2019 Origin Grant recipients to empower women and girls in communities that grow coffee, tea and cocoa include: Barefoot College, CARE, Days for Girls, Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, Lutheran World Relief, Malala Fund, Roger Federer Foundation, Send a Cow, UNICEF Ethical Tea Partnership and World Relief.
