History

Songwa Estates 2007-2023

In 2007, three leading companies in the specialty coffee industry — La Marzocco, Mahlkönig, and Probat — joined forces to establish Songwa Estates, a non-profit initiative originally aimed at improving the work conditions of the people involved in the Songwa coffee farm activities. Located approximately 900 kilometers from Tanzania's Dar es Salaam, the Songwa Farm spans 59 hectares, of which 25 are currently used for coffee cultivation, with 8 hectares available for future expansion.

The mission of the Songwa project was encapsulated in its guiding principle:"Bringing people to coffee origins in a meaningful way."

Since 2011, the close collaboration between project partners and the surrounding community has enabled targeted initiatives aimed at improving local living conditions and opportunities, and the two main objectives have become:

• Educating staff, clients, and all those involved in the coffee sector about the numerous intricacies of growing, harvesting, and processing green coffee.
• Supporting the local community, whose livelihoods depend on coffee production, partially funded by the "Hands for Songwa" project, launched in 2017.

In 2017, the Songwa Estates partners launched the "Hands for Songwa" project to extend their support to the local community near the coffee plantation in Mbeya, Tanzania. Beyond organizing educational trips, the partners allocated a percentage of their profits to initiatives designed to improve the quality of life for the local population. These efforts have yielded significant achievements, such as the reconstruction and furnishing of four school buildings, the completion of sanitary facilities at the Muvwa Primary School (serving over 300 children), and the construction of water wells to ensure access to clean water.

The Itimba School project, completed in December 2013, successfully established a new school and teacher's room in the village. The school was built from foundation to finish, including roofing, flooring, and painting. The project strengthened community relationships and provided valuable learning opportunities for all involved. The facility is now ready to serve as a beacon for education and development in the area.

One of the key projects for 2020, building a bridge to connect the two banks of the Nfoze River, was completed quite quickly, in the course of the same year. Previously, only a tree stem was laid over the river, and it was dangerous for people to cross this river, which carries massive flood water during the rainy season.

In 2020, Mary, a La Marzocco employee responsible for the Songwa Estates project, retired, and the branch offices made a collective donation in recognition and gratitude for her dedicated work with both the Songwa organization and La Marzocco. This donation was used to build a Daycare for the children of coffee pickers. Women working in the fields typically carry their children with them throughout long days, adding to their physical burden. The nursery provides a safe, clean space where children can play and be cared for during the harvest period. The project also includes plans to provide meals for the children.

In addition to building and equipping schools and building water wells near the villages nearest the Songwa farm, in 2019, Hands for Songwa funding covered the costs for an educational campaign involving over 500 primary and secondary school children to clean the Nzovwe River. During the week of September 23, local water authorities and science teachers accompanied students to the river to learn about its ecosystem. At the end of the intense week, students were divided into small groups and equipped with the necessary materials to clean the river of plastics and other contaminating materials. Several of the students joined a celebration at the end of the day to mark their accomplishments.

In 2020, the project to realize a drinking water borehole in Idugumbi was approved. For this purpose, professional drilling equipment was brought to the site, and a borehole was sunk down to about 80 meters. On the surface, a cemented shelter with a handpump was built, giving unlimited access to clean drinking water for all people of the village.

Like the local community and the coffee growing in the area, water is a precious resource indeed.

As the entire world has been affected by COVID-19, so has Tanzania, including the communities surrounding Songwa and Utengule. At the start of the pandemic, Hands for Songwa committed to providing salaries for the team of 35 workers, regardless of their ability to work during the restrictions from March to December 2020. Like any other country, Tanzania was seriously affected by the pandemic but without support from institutions. Companies and people had to find their own way through this difficult time, and the situation for Songwa/Utengule was indeed critical. With this in mind, through agile practices, the Hands for Songwa Foundation gave quick support to the local workers, helping greatly to support them and their families.

Since 2021, efforts have been made to establish an independent local foundation to carry on the mission of the original project through direct donations, and in 2023 the "Hands for Songwa Foundation" was established.

Since 2023 Hands for Songwa Foundation

In 2023, Hands for Songwa Foundation was established: an independent local entity that can receive donations and carry on the mission of the previous project.