Well-fed children, learning in safe classrooms. We invest in the next generation of Kilimanjaro’s coffee-growing communities, because a resilient coffee landscape starts with its youth.
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Status |
Ongoing |
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Timeline |
Since 2014 (Maize for Education, renewed yearly) · April 2026 – December 2027 (Kilimanjaro Classrooms of Hope) |
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Location |
Rural and public primary schools in the Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania, including the Moshi and Hai districts |
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Reach |
11,900+ children and youth in 50 rural schools supplied with maize and 100 rehabilitated classrooms |
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Goals |
Food security · Child health · Quality education · Community resilience · Shared responsibility |
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Issues tackled |
Child malnutrition · Underfunded school infrastructure · Low attendance and learning performance · Limited opportunities for rural youth |
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SDGs |
2 Zero Hunger · 3 Good Health and Well-being · 4 Quality Education · 17 Partnerships for the Goals |
Coffee farms thrive when the communities around them thrive. In the rural areas of Kilimanjaro, two everyday barriers stand between children and their education: an empty stomach and a classroom that is not fit for learning.
Primary education in Tanzania is officially free, yet school meals and the maintenance of school buildings remain underfunded. Many classrooms in coffee-growing communities are deteriorated and poorly lit, and many children arrive at school without enough to eat. Both conditions affect attendance, concentration, learning performance and teacher morale.
Kilimanjaro Education, Hope and Future brings APK’s investments in education together under one programme. It combines school nutrition with the rehabilitation and maintenance of classrooms, working hand in hand with schools, parents, district authorities and coffee industry partners.
Maize grown on APK farms is delivered to rural schools, so that children receive the meals they need to stay healthy, attend school and concentrate in class.
Classrooms are rehabilitated with certified, non-toxic, low-VOC materials, creating bright and safe spaces where students and teachers can do their best work.
Schools, parents, district authorities and private partners co-invest in every intervention, and local school committees take ownership of long-term maintenance.
The programme links responsible coffee sourcing with visible, measurable investment in social infrastructure at origin, creating a model that can be replicated in other coffee regions.
Maize from APK farms secures the nutrition of more than 11,900 children and youth in 50 rural schools, supporting access to basic education and future work opportunities.
100 classrooms rehabilitated in 17 public primary schools, giving more than 4,500 children safe and appropriate spaces to learn.
APK leads implementation and local coordination, building on its farms, logistics and close relationships with surrounding communities. Herencia VL accompanied the programme as impact advisor, designing the monitoring and evaluation framework and tracking results.
Coffee companies, foundations and individual supporters can co-invest in school meals or in the rehabilitation of a classroom. Every contribution is matched by local commitment and reported transparently.