You like coffee, right? When you drink coffee, you only like the best, right? And because you like the best, you’re prepared to pay the price, right? And because you’re a caring human being, you’re prepared to make a contribution to the many orphaned and vulnerable children in our country, who don’t know from where their next meal will come, right? In essence, you want to be part of making a change, right?
Well here’s the thing, on Friday December 2, you can go to a Change Coffee affiliated café or coffee shop to enjoy a cup of great coffee, and for the price of another cup, feed a hungry child for 15 days.
Fifteen of the more than 150 such stores in South Africa are located in the Boland, so the excuse that you can’t find a Change Coffee store, is no excuse.
Change Coffee is the brainchild of South African Robyn Borruso who lives and works in Australia, where she runs the Eniwe Children’s Fund office, a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable and abandoned children in South Africa. Working closely with Vann van Staden and Lauren Zuidema, who together run the local Eniwe Children’s Fund office, Ms Borruso launched the Change Coffee initiative last year.
Vann van Staden takes up the story: “On her travels back to the country every year it became more and more imperative for Robyn to make a change, so she came up with the idea of doing so hand-in-hand with the booming coffee culture across the globe.
“We started very small last year in Australia, with an even smaller base of coffee shops in South Africa. The initiative was well received from both cafés and coffee drinkers. From a café point of view, it really is down to how involved they are and how excited they choose to be, because this determines how many coffee drinkers will be pulled in,” Ms Van Staden said.
The response last year was small because there were so few coffee shops on board, according to Ms Van Staden, but they are hoping for bigger things this, year with more than 150 Change Coffee stores in South Africa, over 120 in Australia, a sprinkling in New Zealand, America and Europe, and even one each in Canada and the Philippines, making it a truly international initiative. “This year we’re expecting quite a bit, we’re super excited, and I’m sure we’ll be over the moon with the results. It’s important to remember that every cup counts,” said Ms Van Staden.
“Over 13 million children live in poverty in our country, forced to live off less than R600 a month,” Ms Van Staden said. “Over 3.3 million children live in households where they experience child hunger,
HIV/AIDS has resulted in a staggering 3.6 million orphans, and over 87 000 children live in child-headed households. Eniwe Children’s Fund aims to improve the lives of as many of these vulnerable children as possible, through various housing, feeding and skills development initiatives. Change Coffee is an ideal vehicle for us to raise the money we need to, so it’s your chance to help us make a change in a child’s life.”
“While the actual Change Coffee day is the first Friday of December each year,” Ms Van Staden said, “a number of participating stores asked if the initiative could run for the entire weekend, to afford coffee drinkers who cannot make it on Friday, the opportunity to have their cup of coffee for change.”
Participating stores will also display a Snapscan QR Code on tables, which can be used to donate any amount to Change Coffee.
Boland Change Coffee stores
Fabio’s, 21 Church Street, Stellenbosch
Ambeans, Shop 92, Somerset Mall, Somerset West
The Daily Coffee Café, Vergelegen Centre, Old Sir Lowry’s Pass Road, Somerset West
The Daily Coffee Café, 5 Webersvallei Road, Stellenbosch
Ambeans, Shop 31, Stellenbosch Square, corner R44 and Webersvalliei Road, Stellenbosch
Deluxe Coffeeworks, cornerDorp and Aan-de-wagen streets, Stellenbosch
The Blue Crane and The Butterfly, 146A Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
Basic Bistro, 31 Church Street, Stellenbosch
Oude Werf Hotel, 30 Church Street, Stellenbosch
Deluxe Coffeeworks, De Warenmarket, corner Ryneveld and Plein streets, Stellenbosch
Taste Bud Eatery, 44 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch
The Birdcage, Aan de Gragt Building, unit 3 and 4, Stellenbosch
Sacred Ground, Shop 1 and 2, Franschhoek Square, 36 Huguenot Street, Franschhoek
The Hoek Espresso Bar, corner Daniel Hugo and Huguenot streets, Franschhoek
Peaches and Cream, VIP Nursery, Champagne Road, Wellington.
