Indonesian Sumatran ‘Blue Batak’ Hands of Hope (green)

Description

Region: Lintong, Lake Toba area, North Sumatra

Altitude: 1100-1800 masl

Producers: Banyan Farmer Group

Processing: Wet hulling / ‘Giling Basah’

Farmer training: GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) by Volkopi

In the cup: Caramel, chocolate, citrus including grapefruit, good body

This Sumatran coffee benefits from a higher altitude that produces a brightness in the cup and complexities unique to this region. Sweet syrupy characters, good cup qualities and great complexities are prominent. Just fine as a single origin, or as a blender.

The Hands of Hope Project was set up by the coffee company Volkapi to help and support children; many of them orphans, in a number of foster homes. Their goal is to supplement the institution’s incomes, helping them improve their facilities and to supplement their annual operating budgets creating a better future for the children.

The Hands of Hope Project provides a percentage of the proceeds from selected green coffee sales to two specific foster homes. One located in a mountain village of Takengon Aceh, Kasih Sayang. The other is in Yayasan Sungai Air Hidup, located in the inner city of Medan, North Sumatra’s coffee export hub. The Kasih Sayang foster home helped many of the children who lost their parenst in the devastating Boxing Day tsunami.

The support provided means the children’s meals more nutritional with the addition of fresh fruit and vegetables, funding has been provide for classroom construction. Other specific items have been sports and music equipment. The children have been able to grow their own produce in specially built greenhouses.