Problem

East Timor’s recent history is tragic. After gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, the Indonesian army invaded the island. An unsuccessful campaign of pacification then waged for two decades, claiming upwards of 250,000 lives. After foreign intervention in 2002, East Timor became an independent state. However, most of the country’s infrastructure had been destroyed, and hostilities still flare. The East Timorese need an alternative to conflict, and the ability to rebuild their country.

The Gift

In the face of these challenges, the development of small and medium-sized rural enterprises is critical to rebuilding East Timor.

Cooperative Café Timor (CCT) is one such enterprise which provides both safety and sustainable livelihoods for its workers. With more than 17,500 members, CCT is the largest coffee producer on the island of East Timor. Amazingly, it is the primary source of income for over 10% of the population in the world’s poorest country.

Your support of CCT, through financing from Root Capital (a social investment fund), will help this cooperative provide benefits to family farmers in remote villages who are facing chronically high levels of poverty. 100% of CCT’s land is registered for organic production, which demonstrates their commitment to long-term sustainability of their ecosystem. Help war weary East Timor regain strength by supporting its most promising economic engine: coffee.