Hamro Coffee: inclusion for farmers in Nepal
This project aims to improve opportunities for small-scale coffee farmers with disabilities in Nepal to supply to local or global markets.
About the project
Globally, employment rates for men with disabilities (53%) and women with disabilities (20%) are lower than for non-disabled men (65%) and women (30%).
Most of the 1.3 billion people with disabilities around the world are of working age, yet less than a third are in employment. But by excluding people with disabilities from the labour market, countries can lose as much as 7% of their national gross domestic product.
In the past few years, the Nepalese coffee market is resurgent, driven by a boom in domestic and international demand. This presents a perfect chance to build opportunities for farmers with disabilities and their families within a robust and growing value chain. It can also challenge the deep-rooted stereotypes in Nepal that people with disabilities will reduce efficiency in the workplace and farming.
Based on learning from the Hamro Coffee project, a pilot under FCDO’s Disability Inclusive Development (DID) initiative is being implemented in two districts of Nepal. It aims to improve opportunities for small-scale coffee farmers with disabilities to supply to local or global markets, ranging from local cafes to formal global value chains. We’re helping organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs) and coffee value chains to test innovative ways of improving the inclusion of people with disabilities.
Learn more about how people with disabilities and their organisations, and coffee value chain actors are co-creating solutions to make Nepali coffee more inclusive on the Inclusive Coffee Journeys website.
At a glance
- Where: Nepal
- When: December 2019-March 2023
- Partners: Light for the World, CORDAID, National Federation of the Disabled Nepal (NFDN)
Watch the video to hear from coffee educator and trainer Raj Kumar Banjara.
Milan’s story
Milan was one of 11 participants in the first cohort of barista training organised for deaf participants. The 25-year-old now works as a head barista at Pauline's Garden café in Kathmandu, earning NPR19,000 (US$140) a month.
Pauline’s Garden proprietor Biken Shrestha says initially he was hesitant about working with deaf staff members, and worried about miscommunication with customers. “But I can communicate just fine with him. We have all learnt a little sign language, and we use gestures, expressions to get the message across.”
Within a year, Milan has become a trusted member of the team, and wants to gain more experience so he can progress to working in bigger hotels and eventually open his own café. Biken looks forward to creating more opportunities for people with disabilities. He adds: “Anyone who has the skills and the right attitude, regardless of their disabilities, will be welcome to work in Pauline’s.”
Sasmita’s story
More about our work
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Inclusive Futures is attending the summit in Berlin on 2-3 April. Visit our booth or attend our panel event to connect with us and learn more about our programme insights.
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