Ethiopia - Harrar

Illi Darartu Co-operative, Harrar

The Illili Darartu co-operative is located on a hill near Mount Garamulata, a peak about three hours outside of Harrar. (Harrar is about 10 hours east from the capital of Addis Abbaba.) The Harrar region is very dry, and water is scarce - ever since the nearby town of Bedeno grew in size, piped water has stopped fl owing, and producers must get their water from the valley, a trip that takes six hours in total. Coffee is, as a result, dry-processed. The cherries are dried in the sun, and then pulverised in a mortar and pestle to retrieve the beans. There are 590 members in the Illili Darartu co-operative, which produces approximately 400 tonnes of coffee per year. Each member is typically a coffee-growing family, and will produce about 700 kilograms. While prices for coffee are standard, the social premium paid for fairtrade beans makes all the difference. The Illili Darartu co-operative received $27,000 NZ in 2005, enough to invest in a major social project.

Like the Negele Gorbitu co-operative, the members of Illili Darartu decided to invest their money in a four-classroom school which holds 610 pupils. For the local community, the education of the children was paramount, opening up opportunities for the kids to take on jobs that were not available to their parents.