Release date: July 26, 2005
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Contact Karen Primack, (301) 565 3094

Mirembe Kawomera Ugandan Coffee Debuts
Grown in the hills of Mt. Elgon by Ugandan Jewish farmers together with their Muslim and Christian neighbors

July 31, 2005-- Mirembe Kawomera means "delicious peace" in Luganda, one of 25 Ugandan languages. Delicious peace is what Ugandan coffee farmers are growing.

The Abayudaya Jewish Community of Mbale, Uganda, a 700-member indigenous Jewish farming community in existence since 1919, has joined with their Muslim and Christian neighbors in conscious cooperation and mutual respect to produce Mirembe Kawomera Ugandan Coffee, a new brand available exclusively from Thanksgiving Coffee Company of Fort Bragg, California.

"We think this coalition, 400 farmers strong, is unique in all of Africa. We are now producing exceptional Mt. Elgon arabica coffee for the world market," says Abayudaya farmer and cooperative leader J.J. Keki. He adds: "Mirembe Kawomera Coffee is Fair Trade* certified, kosher and organically grown, offering Jewish, Muslim and Christian farmers a better life for our families by working together. Today the world is in pain. We want to prove that a better way is to be proud of who you are, respect each other and make something great together."

The Mirembe Kawomera Coffee Project, 2 years in the making, was conceived and developed by J.J. Keki, who organized hundreds of neighboring farmers door-to-door on foot, and singer-activist Laura Wetzler, Uganda Coordinator for Kulanu, Inc., a Jewish charitable organization, who approached 50 coffee companies with the idea.

Paul Katzeff , founder and CEO of Thanksgiving Coffee Company of Fort Bragg, California, responded by buying all the coffee the new cooperative can produce. Katzeff is a pioneer in the socially responsible Fair Trade* specialty coffee business and a "master cupper." He is now importing, roasting, marketing and distributing Mirembe Kawomera Ugandan Coffee worldwide. Thanksgiving Coffee Company will also be offering innovative wholesale fundraising programs plus Uganda community development profit sharing to further assist farmers and their families.

"This project, created by Jewish coffee farmers in coalition with their Muslim and Christian neighbors, demonstrates the concept of tikkun olam, or "repair of the world" in action," says Laura Wetzler, Uganda Coordinator for Kulanu. She reports: "Success in the US market will mean over 400 hard-working, small-scale African farmers can feed, educate and care for their children in dignity. It means jobs and protection of the environment. Fair Trade* premiums and company profit sharing will generate funds for development that will benefit all Ugandans living in the area. It brings shalom bayit or "peace in the home" and increased safety from persecution for the 700-member minority Jewish community. Best of all, it supports peaceful co-existence and brings inspiring win-win partnerships of religious tolerance and economic justice to a world much in need of both."

Kulanu, Inc. is a grassroots, all volunteer, not-for-profit Jewish organization working on community empowerment projects around the world. Kulanu has been working on the ground in Uganda for 10 years, working side by side with Abayudaya village leaders, sharing planning and management skills, raising funds, administering grants, supporting schools, health education, women's empowerment, improved child nutrition, and assisting US teaching volunteers in Uganda. An independent Jewish organization with supporters across the US and around the world, Kulanu helps the Abayudaya community connect to donors, government, international business and NGO resources. Most recently, Kulanu worked with Abayudaya leaders, synagogues and private donors to bring the first electricity and water projects to 3 villages, installing 12 water tanks and connecting the main village at Nabagoye Hill to national grid electricity. Other Kulanu-Abayudaya self-help projects include developing and promoting sales of Abayudaya crafts and music CDs at www.kulanuboutique.com, helping to establish micro-finance community banking, initiating wildlife safari and African-Jewish tours, and the newest, connecting Thanksgiving Coffee Company with Mirembe Kawomera multi-faith cooperative farmers.

Mirembe Kawomera Ugandan Coffee is on sale now exclusively from Thanksgiving Coffee Company, available in kosher light, dark, decaf and espresso roasts, freshly ground or as roasted whole beans. It is available retail for home use and gift giving and wholesale (20 bag minimum) for organizational use, fundraising or buyers' cooperatives. Kulanu will be encouraging all religious groups to support the Ugandan farmers by using Mirembe Kawomera Ugandan Coffee for their events and as fundraisers for humanitarian projects in Uganda. To order call 800 648 6491 Pacific time or go to: http://www.mirembekawomera.com

*Fair Trade is an international economic and social justice movement that attempts to address the inequities between the poor, small-scale family farmers who grow food and the people in rich countries who consume it. In international business as usual, farmers see very little of the price consumers pay for coffee. The Fair Trade certified label assures that farmers are guaranteed a higher wage for their coffee beans, regardless of market fluctuation, plus a small premium for social program support. For more information on Fair Trade see www.thanksgivingcoffee.com. This project gives the family farmers of Mirembe Kawomera Cooperative their first-ever access to the US market. Mirembe Kawomera Coffee is organically grown and will be certified organic within three years by Ecocert, an international organic food regulating body.

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Press contacts:

JJ Keki, Director, Mirembe Kawomera Farmers Coperative Mbale, Uganda jjkeki@yahoo.com Phone in Uganda: 011 256 77 608 270 (7 hours forward from EST)

Paul Katzeff, Founder and CEO Thanksgiving Coffee Company, Fort Bragg, CA pk@thanksgivingcoffee.com (707) 964 0118 (PST) http://www.thanksgivingcoffee.com/mirembekawomera/

Laura Wetzler, Kulanu Coordinator for Uganda, (413) 634-5617/cell: (413) 320-5553 (EST) www.kulanu.org