In 2007, three leading companies in the coffee sector, La Marzocco, Mahlkoenig and Probat, began the non-profit project Songwa Estates in Tanzania. The goal of the three partners was to offer their collaborators a training experience in the field to spread awareness about the origins of coffee, the raw material and the intricacies of the value chain, and at the same time undertake targeted actions to improve the living conditions of the local community that lived near the plantation.
After a few years of work, in 2023 the Hands for Songwa Foundation was established, an NGO based in Dar es Salaam, which today receives and manages funds independently – in line with the vision, mission and objectives specified in its constitution: supporting the construction and renovation of local infrastructure (such as wells and school buildings).
La Marzocco is the spokesperson for the work of the Foundation which, thanks to the donations received, has currently started three projects that will improve the condition of some structures in the villages which had already been handled in the past by the Songwa Estates project.
The Manjelwa bridge over the Nzofwe River will be rebuilt, which connects the villages of Manjelwa and Itimba, given the safety conditions of the bridge compromised during the rainy season. The old structure will be removed and the material will be disposed of. Once the concrete foundations of the river bank have been reinforced, iron beams will be installed that will form the main structure and will improve not only the functionality but also the aesthetics of the structure which, once completed, will be finished with oxide red, yellow and black paint.
The Msheve primary school, which has deteriorated significantly, will be completely rebuilt to offer students and teachers dry environments with better hygienic conditions. To do this, the old material will be disposed of and the foundations will be reinforced with a concrete slab. The walls will also be made of concrete and more suitable doors and windows will be installed. The roof will be made of solid wooden planks that are resistant to termites.
The latest approved project involves the intervention on the Manjelwa church, the small village church and community center in the village of Manjelwa. These small institutions are important for the life of the village because they mean being together.
Community members have made small contributions for the reconstruction of the building and have actually already built a wall, but due to obvious economic limitations the work has been put on hold for some time.
The Hands for Songwa Foundation will support these projects by providing materials and technical support. The construction work will instead be carried out by bricklayers, carpenters and people from the community itself with specific skill sets.
The Foundation will soon put online a dedicated and updated website through which all parties who are interested can find further details and discover how they can donate to support such initiatives https://www.handsforsongwa.com
