Wai Ti is 35 years old and has been married for 14 years with three children. She did not go to school as a child and thought it was too late for her to get an education. Little did she realize that one of the key components of Shanta’s Coffee Program is education. Education in the care for, harvest, and marketing of the coffee beans, giving her a second chance at vocational learning.
Coffee is part of our ongoing Income Generation Program and has established over 500 family coffee farms. Through the Shanta Coffee Farm Program, training and supplies are provided, as well as cooperative marketing practices to access Myanmar-based wholesalers. Wai Ti knows that when she takes the harvest to market, it will reap the reward of being more valuable per pound than the garlic, cabbage, tomato, and ginger she formerly grew, increasing her family’s bottom line and ultimately her confidence!
When asked what she will do in a few years with the additional income when selling this future crop, she says with a smile, “…Education. For my children”.
