Consider the Price of a Cup of Coffee

Consider the Price of a Cup of Coffee: Commercial Interruption

Inspired by the fundraising efforts of the students at BBHS (see their tab) I thought I would make an official break in the blog here to for a commercial interruption.

Rwanda is famous for many things and one of those things is coffee.  This is lucky for me as I love coffee and while I rarely drink more than a cup or two in the morning those two wake up cups are now, rightly or wrongly, a part of each morning.  I find it amusing then that while in Rwanda where coffee is growing all around me I was, up until a few weeks ago, drinking Nescafe.  Is it because I prefer Nescafe?  Not at all.  It is rather because while some people may mistake me for being a minimalist they should instead see me as someone with little or no interest in spending any time or effort in feeding myself.  Hence, because it is just that much easier to make a simple cup of Nescafe than to use and clean a french press full of rich aromatic grounds that is what I did.  Turns out, however, that Rwandan coffee is famous for being good, because it really, really is delicious and after my first proper cup I am now inspired to clean that French press each morning even if it means I have to do it out in the yard where the running water is.

I believe that most people may be more familiar with Rwanda as they identify Rwanda with the terrible genocide of 1994.  However, what many people may not know is that the failure of the coffee and tea crops prior to the events that began in full on that April 6^th was one small part of what ignited the flame of the fire that raged through the country for the next 100 days.  Events that devastated the country, shattered people’s lives, tore apart families and communities, and destroyed the overall infrastructure of the country, including the education system.  It is sixteen years since the genocide and the country is making great strides in their efforts to not only rebuild families, communities, and society, but also to create something great in every aspect of their country.  CUSO-VSO is a big part of those efforts in the education sector, and in such a small and impoverished country the work does matter, and the work is effective.

Therefore, inspired by the kind support of the students at BBHS I am going to send out my official request to consider donating to the work of CUSO-VSO in Rwanda.  What I am asking for you to consider is to donate the  price of a cup of coffee.  All donations will be appreciated, be used wisely to help to create an education system in which quality education for all is not just a slogan, as well as a system that does directly affect people’s lives and their futures.

I thank you and the students at BBHCS for inspiring me to take the time to put myself out there for a cause I believe in, in a way that is not easy for me (directly asking for support).  Therefore, if you are interested in supporting this fundraising cause, please see the fundraising tab on this blog, and many deep and sincere thanks to those who have already made that generous donation and supported this work.