Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages globally after tea and water. Having been born into coffee, I have a long history with it—good and bad, but combined, they make an excellent relationship. So, obviously, with each relationship, it gets better with age, and mine with coffee is not exceptional.
This is why, almost anything that has to do with drinking coffee or talking about coffee, I’m there. And today is no different. I am at Enzi Coffee with other coffee connoisseurs, celebrating #NyerereDay by talking about Mwalimu and his legacy while sipping coffee.
Enzi got clever with the names of the coffee we were to taste. We had three samples: Julius, Kambarage, and Nyerere. This was quite fitting for the day.
Before the tasting began, we had two people, Samson Genya – a software developer, and Mwalimu Makwaya, an author. Both, in their own right, have a lot of knowledge about Mwalimu from reading books and following up on his journey.
Makwaya shared a little history about Mwalimu and his love for poetry and books. For example, I had no idea that Mwalimu had written poetry, drawing his inspiration from the Bible. In his book ‘Utenzi wa Enjili kadiri ya Matayo’.
For one to be able to write poetry from the bible, one needs to have a deeper understanding of the bible and its words. He also spoke about how Mwalimu surrounded himself with people who were older than him. This reminds me of people who keep saying that you need someone older than you or younger than you to get different perspectives about different things.
Genya, a poet, read us an AI-generated poem. Let me tell you, this poem inspired and impressed all of us there and was a reminder about what AI can do with proper prompts (a story for another time).
This poem spoke about Malimu’s love for literature, from the books he has translated to his ujamaa philosophy. It talked about how he travelled from Butiama to Britain for school, his fight for freedom, and his love for coffee.
“Asante Mwalimu, thank you for showing us that even in art, there is a role to play in building a strong and free nation. Where culture and progress twin shall be.” – Genya is his AI-generated poem about Nyerere.
I love it when people forget about everything and just talk about coffee—about the market, the farmers, the policies, and the culture around it. Yes, tea came before coffee, but coffee is gaining more popularity now. It is so great that Tanzania is blessed with both.
Isaack, a coffee broker and facilitator for the event explained why Ethiopia is way ahead of many countries in coffee production and distribution. “Coffee is a part of the Ethiopian culture. It is a unifying factor for the community. People from different ethnicities, backgrounds, and religions come sit together to talk about nothing but coffee.”
This culture is also in Tanzania, famously known as ‘vijiwe vya kahawa’. In these vijiwe, people come together and talk about everything, including politics and coffee.
It is said that Mwalimu used vijiwe vya kahawa to discuss politics and his agenda for a free nation. After independence, he continued to use coffee as a conversation tool throughout his presidency. Just as coffee was a tool for Mwalimu to unite people, it is still a connection tool for many people.
I was fascinated by the conversations about coffee among the people at the event. I was curious to hear about their relationship with coffee, how it started, what they like about coffee, and what it means for them.
For Saumu Juma, it is the aroma. “Something about the smell of coffee. It is the best way to start the day.” She told me. Her love for coffee started early when she lived with her uncle in Arusha, who always drank coffee in the evenings. Still, children were not allowed to have any, so they had it through the aroma ‘Walikunywa kwa harufu’.
Saumu makes her coffee at home by simply boiling it like how one would make coffee – this is proof that you can have coffee however you like, no need to have equipment for you to enjoy a cup of coffee. But when she goes out, Saumu enjoys a cup of latte.
Nelson Sadick’s journey with coffee started when he was 25 years old. He simply wanted to learn more about coffee and what it is all about.
“So, the first time I had an espresso, my heart was pounding fast. And you know, I was just trying to enjoy it and feel it. Then, I found out what I liked most: a cappuccino. As my taste buds grew older, I began to appreciate the pure aspects of coffee. You know, how it’s supposed to be consumed and whatnot. So I gravitated more towards Americano and just straight black. No sugar.” Nelson told me as we both laughed at the last part.
Med school is where Galal King’ori accepted coffee as her lover; of course, she grew up seeing her dad drink coffee, but she wasn’t in love with it then.
“I remember I was in year three and went to Nakumat. It was open in Moshi by then, and I bought a coffee machine. I felt like I was such a big girl. So responsible. I could buy my coffee machine, and I think I’ve loved coffee ever since. You know, it just makes me feel alive. There’s so much more to coffee than meets the eye.”
Kai did not fall in love with coffee instantly. “I think in the beginning, our taste buds are exposed to a lot of sweetness. So when you taste coffee for the first time, you won’t like it. But now, I love it. I love everything about it. Coffee, for me, is a moment. It centres me, and it weirdly connects my life. I can even pause my life and tell you, oh yeah, I took this photo at this palace, and I was talking about this.”
She continued, “Coffee reminds me of my roots. It brings me closer to my forefathers. I come from a very long generation of coffee farmers. Coffee feels like home.” Kai Mollel told me as she hugged me goodbye.
I agree with Kai completely. Coffee is a moment. It is about what happens when you are having that coffee. It is the company.
For others, like Iddi John, coffee is an experience. He has a strong relationship with coffee, which was made possible by his grandmother, who owned coffee farms. Iddi would help her out whenever he visited.
“For me, coffee is like a snack. I will make coffee so that I can read a book. I will go to a restaurant and order coffee just to chill. Coffee takes me from one moment to another. It complements my life,” he proudly told me.
Samson Genya did not grow up with coffee farms, but he knew of places that farmed coffee in his town, Mara. However, he had coffee occasionally, usually whenever his father had it twice to thrice a week. His love for coffee strengthened when he moved to Moshi for school. To solidify his relationship, he did his O-level project at the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TACRI), where he learned more about coffee.
Throughout the event, the conversation spanned the coffee process, from the farmers to brokers to the government and the last consumer—us. The biggest question is how we inspire the coffee culture in the country. We have good coffee, but most of it is not consumed by the natives in the country, not even the farmers themselves.
“Coffee is about the community. The community that cares about coffee and the entire process. It is a curious community. A community that cares about where the coffee they drink comes from. So the community is the conduit to get us to the outcome we want – people consuming good coffee while the farmer benefits from our consumption.” Isaya told me after the event. He added that he was happy to see new faces and how curious they were. It gives him hope for the future of coffee in the country, and so am I.
With each person I spoke to, it was clear that coffee is more than just a drink—it is part of our history, culture, and identity, both for leaders like Mwalimu Nyerere and everyday people like all of us who find comfort in coffee and use it to pause and reflect on life.
I hope you enjoy your cup of coffee today as much as we did. Until next time.
Jane 🙂
