A London cafe, is turning coffee sales into medical support for women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Located near Tower Hill, Buzzed serves coffee from Mozzo, where all proceeds from Mozzo’s ‘Rebuild Women’s Hope’ (RWH) range are supporting women in one of the world’s poorest regions.
Mozzo has already built a maternity ward, providing a safe place for childbirth, and now it’s pledging $60,000 to expand the clinic with an intensive care unit and operating theatre.
Kim Evans, Mozzo’s marketing director, recalls meeting with RWH founder Marceline Budza in 2019.
She said: “We went to the DRC and wanted to make sure the community decided what was needed, rather than pursuing a big marketing statement.
“What they really wanted was a maternity clinic as well as a place where children, men and women could seek shelter – so we had to honour that.”
In 2020, Mozzo’s community2community (C2C) fund raised over £50,000, helping to build the clinic on Idjwi Island, where over 4,000 babies have been safely delivered.
Kim emphasised the vital role London’s coffee drinkers play in the long-term aims of the C2C fund.
She said: “We help disadvantaged communities along the supply chain, and without London – one of our most vibrant markets – this wouldn’t be possible.
“The DRC has the potential to become a respected coffee-growing region, we see it as a place where our funding can make a greater impact compared to established regions like Brazil.”
Grant Lang, Mozzo founder, started selling coffee from a tuk-tuk and launched the C2C fund, where 10p from every cup went to local community projects.
Buzzed café manager Jana Zonm has seen first-hand the company’s commtimment to the community.
She said: “It’s really nice that Mozzo works so closely with people on the island. It’s definitely not like this everywhere.”
As Mozzo approaches its 19th anniversary, raising awareness to people who farm its coffee is key to its mission.
Evans said: “It’s key that people feel connected to the cause – when they buy the coffee, they are genuinely helping change take place.”
Featured Images: Credit Mozzo Coffee and Aubin Mukoni
Image in article: Credit Mozzo Coffee and Maayan Kershenbaum
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