More than 125,000 women and girls empowered through The Starbucks Foundation’s Origin Grants

The Starbucks Foundation is halfway to its goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in coffee- and tea-growing communities by 2025

Our commitment to ensuring a sustainable future of coffee for all starts with strengthening the communities that grow coffee and tea around the world. Women play key roles in these communities for their households, farms and businesses. We believe that investing in women and girls in coffee- and tea-growing regions makes a significant impact for both families and their broader communities.

The Starbucks Foundation’s Origin Grants help these communities continue to break down barriers to education, promote clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and create economic opportunities for women and girls.

On International Women’s Day in 2018, The Starbucks Foundation announced a goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in origin communities by 2025. We are proud to announce we are more than halfway towards achieving this goal, having reached more than 125,000 women through programs around women’s leadership, access to finance, and healthy homes in coffee- and tea-growing communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

This International Women’s Day, The Starbucks Foundation is awarding two new grants to Mercy Corps and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, given the urgent needs surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Women everywhere often play a key role in uplifting their families and keeping them safe. COVID-19’s impact makes this role more critical than ever in areas which have less access to resources and support. These grants will advance the important work of protecting the lives and livelihoods within coffee and tea origin communities, with continued support for clean water and sanitation and economic resilience for women.

Hear from Floridalma, Niharika and Thacienne about how these grants have given them and their families new opportunities and hope for the future.

Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Meet Floridalma, a farmer who lives in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. She takes care of the farm and family of five at home. Floridalma received life skills training from World Neighbors.

“I had a very rough time trying to take care of the house and my family. I always wanted to start my own business, but I did not have the support. I have learned about how to incorporate all kinds of vegetables into the coffee plantations, raise chickens and have clean water that has made life better in this community. I grow and sell coffee, but also vegetables. I have a healthier home with facilities, which has been very helpful for the family. We now have renewed hope in ourselves.”

Assam, India

Meet Niharika, a 15-year-old who lives near a tea estate in Assam, India. As part of an adolescent club organized by Girl Rising, Niharika is pursuing her dream to become an engineer. To help address poor access to water in her village, Niharika recently built a handwashing station for her community using simple, everyday items.

“A lot of times women have to travel long-distance to wash their hands. This (Tippy Tap) will ensure that they wash their hands before and after their meals.”

Niharika has already presented the idea of setting up Tippy Taps to her school principal, who is keen to have Niharika take the lead.

Rubavu District, Rwanda

Meet Thacienne, a member of an all-women social enterprise in a coffee-growing region. Days for Girls is training Thacienne and other women in the group to sew, grow their businesses, and serve as menstrual health educators in the community.

“COVID-19 really revealed the importance of our project in making and distributing sanitary pads for the community. We have been able to save the money we used to spend on disposables and use some to satisfy other family needs. Those savings are now feeding our families. We want to expand and contribute to the economic development of women and girls.”

The Starbucks Foundation’s 2021 Origin Grants recipients include:

Mercy Corps | Colombia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia and Kenya, 2021 – 2022

To protect the lives and livelihoods of 500,000 people in coffee and tea communities from the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19. The project will provide accurate health and vaccine information, support to water and sanitation initiatives, and build pathways towards long-term economic recovery, especially for women and girls.

Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund | Colombia, 2021 – 2022

To train 130 rural indigenous women on health and economic empowerment in agroecological practices, create rotatory communal funds for grants and support network for women farmers. The project will also educate on COVID-19 safe practices, provide restoration to clean water access and establish advocacy campaigns to ensure inclusion and effective participation of rural women in community decision-making.