Hello all!I am Régine, the founder and owner of Karibu Kahawa Camps, SCA Education at Origin.The KaribuKahawa Camps offer affordable SCA Training to the local coffeecommunity, volunteer work for the small holder producers and organiseOrigin SCA Education Trips.
SCA Chapter and Coffee Championship
#LetsKeepKenyaExciting with the #KenyaKahawaBrewers
Kenya is the only country which is a member of SCA. However, Kenya does not have an SCA chapter. However, the Barista community is always in demand for more education, SCA and CQI. The barista community demands for more World Of Coffee Event Championship.
In order to satisfy the demand of such an exciting community, I organise monthly coffee competitions with small fee to enter. With these fees I will purchase 3 SCA membership for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize and 2 SCA courses with certification for the 1st and the 2nd prizes.
This month it will be Brewers Cup, next month Cup tasters, December Roasting, January Latte Art, February Coffee in good Spirit, by March SCA members from Kenya should be ready to elect the members of their chapter, and create the first African SCA Chapter.
Well, that is it for today! I will answer more questions in 2 weeks. You can send me your questions at KaribuKahawaCamps@gmail.com Régine Guion-Firmin
I am Régine, the founder and owner of Karibu Kahawa Camps, SCA Education at Origin.
The Karibu Kahawa Camps offer affordable SCA Training to the local coffee community, volunteer work for the small holder producers and organise Origin SCA Education Trips.
It does look like a team is behind this organisation. The reality is that I run it alone. However, sometime some of my AST colleagues come to give me a hand.
In March 2019, I will run the first Bilingual SCA Education Camp in Africa, in four washing stations, in Nyeri, Kenya. The students will choose if the want to get their education in French or in English. The camps – there will be two, SCA Foundation Education camps and SCA Intermediate Education camps – will welcome SCA students and Origin Trips goers from all around the world. As any other SCA Education Camps, the students who successfully pass their exam will receive their certificate the last evening of the camps
During the March Camps, all the ASTs and coordinators will be volunteers!
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Karibu Kahawa Camps Scholarship
~ March 2019 Students ~A part of the International Students fees will fund
free SCA training for local small holder producers,
a part of the fee for African Resident students, as they cannot afford this education,
support for the local children
~ All year Origin / SCA Education Trips comers ~A part of their fees will fund
free SCA training for local small holder producers,
Q Arabica training for local Coffee Professionals
Free / reduced price SCA membership and SCA education
Well, that is it for today!I will answer more questions next week.You can send me your questions at KaribuKahawaCamps@gmail.comRégine Guion-Firmin
Ethiopia – SCA training for EWIC (Women In Coffee Ethiopia) with Asli Yaman from Kimma Coffee
Producing countries could be the future of specialty coffee: they have the farms, the coffee shops, the roasteries, the passion and dedication to drive our industry forward. But they’re arguably also where SCA training is most in demand – and where it can have the biggest impact. I’m a travelling freelance Authorized SCA Trainer and the Founder of Karibu Kahawa Camps, which provides affordable SCA education in East Africa. If you’re thinking of providing SCA training at origin, I encourage you to do it. Let me tell you why – and I’ll also share my checklist for preparing.
Kenya – SCA Training for Embu University with Rafael Mlodzianowski
As an Authorized SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Trainer (AST), I’m qualified to teach a variety of SCA courses. And as a traveller trainer, I must be ready to run coffee courses anywhere with what I have available.
But why am I needed? Especially when more and more producing countries have Q graders? Q graders are certified coffee cuppers, meaning they can assess the quality of a coffee and also run assessment courses. However, an AST runs training courses. Both have their importance and are needed in producing countries.
A Q grader can help coffee producers understand the quality of their coffee and where it needs improvements. An AST can help a producer understand how to make those improvements. They also train baristas and café owners, roasters, and more – something that producing countries need to boost internal consumption of specialty coffee, creating more demand for the product.
However, while Q graders are quite well-represented in producing countries, ASTs are often lacking – and it’s at origin where their courses are often needed the most.
Remember that coffee producers are always seeking more knowledge, not just for themselves but also so they can transfer this knowledge to their children, who, very often, leave the coffee farming life behind because it’s too hard to make a profit.
What Should You Do Before You Fly?
Get vaccinated. Yellow fever is one of the most important ones, depending on your destination. Take Kenya: if you arrive overland during the rainy season, you won’t be allowed to enter without a certificate of vaccination.
Get good insurance that’s valid in the countries you’re going to – accidents can happen anywhere!
Get a bank card you can use abroad. Whether it’s a prepaid cash card, Visa, or Mastercard, you want something that will be accepted by most ATMs and with minimal charges. (Or you can get traveller’s cheques, if they’re still in use where you’re going).
Get enough luggage! As you may need to bring your own equipment, choose the airline that offers the biggest luggage allowance and/or most affordable extra luggage.
Plastic cupping bowls, aroma phials in plastic boxes…
What Do You Need to Pack for Your Courses?
Think plastic! It’s much more transportable and durable than either glass or ceramics. Putyour aroma vials in plastic boxes, bring plastic cupping bowls, plastic V60s…. you get the idea.
Think carefully about the coffee beans you bring. Generally, producing countries don’t import coffee from other countries, so if you want to expose your students to different origins and potentially different varieties or processing methods, you will have to bring that coffee with you.
Colombia – With a student, Angie Molina, from Insignia Coffee Roasters, in La Noreña, Tolima. (picture taken by Jhon Espitia)
Don’t Forget!
Language: You may need a translator, whether it’s for Spanish, Swahili, French, Cantonese…
Respect: You have been invited to a different culture. Be humble. In some cultures, men might be asked to not be alone with women. Or women may have to wear a head wrap.
Get involved: One of the best ways to start is to do it gratis. In coffee-producing countries, most of your students won’t be able to afford SCA courses. However, they will be happy to offer lodging, food, and green beans for your services. Later, they can become great connections at origin, introducing you to new students and involving you in their coffeeprojects.
And finally: donate more, earn less, gain a lot!
Colombia – Specialty coffee shop proud owner of Café con Alma, Edward Gómez, in Ibagué
Last February 2018 we ran our first SCA course – Sensory Skills Foundation – for a great student, Kibunja Samson.
Kibunja works in the coffee industry for 3 years, from Dormans Coffee to Barista Pro , he also works in ministry and, once he becomes an AST (Authorized SCA Trainer), he would like to provide a good coffee education to young people living in the slums of Nairobi, to be able to run their own coffee trolley, and promote Kenyan coffee to Kenyans, as they drink mostly tea… with a lot of milk and sugar!
Kibunja, after spending the all day enjoying our training centre for his SCA Sensory Skills, which he passed, and all our equipment necessary for the course, will come back for more SCA training this week – SCA Brewing Intermediate and SCA Barista Skills Intermediate.
Our courses and training are open to all, from Kenyan residents to anyone else around the world, from Coffee Farmers to Nairobi Baristas. The particularity of our SCA training centre is that the ASTs and Barista Trainers are all volunteers coming from all over the world to deliver Coffee Education at an affordable price and SCA Training just for the price of the SCA certification.
Worldwide residents will be housed in Nairobi and have a day trip at origin.
Kibunja, after spending the all day enjoying our training centre for his SCA Sensory Skills, which he passed, and all our equipment necessary for the course, will come back for more SCA training this week – SCA Brewing Intermediate and SCA Barista Skills Intermediate.