Registered in 2011 by former members of Abanya Rwenzori Mountaineering Association, a community tourism project, the cooperative is composed of 25 member groups operating in Kabarole, Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts in the Rwenzori region of western Uganda.
The cooperative’s main products include Arabica and Robusta coffee and they became Fairtrade certified at the end of 2016. The inspiration for the cooperative came from an AMA Field Officer working together with a Peace Corps volunteer.
The cooperative is currently being coached in marketing, financial and business management by the TDC.
In parallel, Semliki is benefiting from a financial support in form of a €25 374,23 grant to:
- increase the farmer’s incomes through improved quality, quantity and added value of the coffee, for increased sales to premium (organic & fairtrade) export markets.
Coaching impact :
SEMLIKI has recently transitioned from a cooperative to a cooperative union as their membership has continue to grow. They are looking at expanding their offering beyond coffee, to include both cocoa and vanilla. Working together in the marketing coaching, we have been able to develop a clear value proposition, brand promise and brand identity, as well as revised website copy for a website update. The team has been building relationships with customers in the local market for years and is currently working on building partnerships with export partners, in Southern Africa and Europe. SEMLIKI has also worked on developing a revenue reporting tool to monitor their growth. We are continuing to work on their marketing strategy to focus on reaching export markets.
