Our Story – Buna Oromia Coffee

founder

Demissie

Demissie's interest in charity and community-building work began in the mid-1980s. He was a founding member of the Oromo Community UK. He worked in cooperation with various charities and support groups to organise aid to victims of 1980s war and drought in Ethiopia. Demissie involved in coordinated relief and rehabilitation support projects with organizations such as Christian Aid, Comic Relief, Health Unlimited, and CAFOD, all based in London.

His passion for charity work began while he was a student at university in London, and he continued to be active in part-time community outreach while working full-time at NatWest Bank and NHS hospitals. Over time, Demissie realized that providing relief and rehabilitation support alone was insufficient to address the economic challenges faced by coffee farmers in Ethiopia. He believed that fostering a self-reliant economy through cooperative associations was essential in reducing poverty.

Coffee is one of the world's most traded agricultural commodities, and Ethiopia is known for its high-quality Arabica coffee, which holds the potential to enhance the country's economic prospects. However, many coffee farmers struggle to access the global coffee market, which prevents them from sharing the benefits of this lucrative industry. In response, Demissie decided to join the Fairtrade Foundation to establish a campaign support aimed at assisting coffee farmers' cooperatives.