A Good African Story
How a Small Company Built a Global Coffee Brand
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- £7.99
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Since it was founded in 2003, Good African Coffee has helped thousands of farmers earn a decent living, send their children to school and escape a spiral of debt and dependence. Africa has received over $1 trillion in aid over the last fifty years and yet despite these huge inflows, the continent remains mired in poverty, disease and systemic corruption.
In A Good African Story, as Andrew Rugasira recounts the very personal story of his company and the challenges that he has faced – and overcome – as an African entrepreneur, he provides a tantalising glimpse of what Africa could be, and argues that trade has achieved what years of aid have failed to deliver.
This is a book about Africa taking its destiny in its own hands, and dictating the terms of its future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Entrepreneur Rugasira has, without a doubt, done great things for his native Uganda by working to help coffee farmers make a living wage and educate their children. Raised in war-torn region, in 2003 he decided to work with Ugandan coffee farmers to produce high-end coffee and distribute it to African and international markets. At that stage, Uganda was producing 200,000 tons of coffee annually, but only as raw beans that were shipped elsewhere for processing. Distraught over the state of the continent, Rugasira aimed to "create genuine and sustainable community transformation." Spurred on by the mantra of "trade not aid," he dedicated the next decade to launching Good African Coffee. The book covers the company's expansion to the U.K. and the U.S., as well as discussing Africa's poverty, instability, politics, and economics. Takeaways for readers include lessons on perseverance, financial literacy, and faith. Though intra-Africa trade accounts for less than 10% of total trade, companies like Rugasira's are helping African entrepreneurs reduce chronic dependency on aid organizations and corrupt governments. Though the book is marred by dull writing, it is chock-full of good intentions.
