I am running the London Marathon on the 28^th of April to raise funds for the Coffee is Life project run by Farm Africa. The Coffee is Life project is run by Farm Africa in Kanungu, Uganda with an aim of giving female farmers the additional support they need to earn a fair share of the profit from coffee production, so they can provide for their families and become financially secure. Farm Africa will:

• Provide training in business skills and leadership to help them gain more independence, become more involved in decision making in their communities and secure higher status jobs within coffee cooperatives
• Help the women to establish Savings and Loans Associations, so they can save together and access loans to increase the size of their farms, grow more coffee and earn the income they deserve.

They will move from solely providing menial labour harvesting coffee to assuming positions of responsibility, actively engaged in adding value to coffee, marketing it and securing good prices from the international speciality coffee market. Coffee is Uganda’s most valuable crop, yet many female coffee farmers are struggling to make ends meet. They lack the land, tools, training and finance to grow enough coffee and sell it for a fair price. Women typically earn 38% less than men.