Once again this year, La Marzocco organized its annual trip to the coffee plantation, bringing along employees and key collaborators of the year as part of the company’s training and incentive program.

the annual la marzocco–powered origin trip to songwa, tanzania took place in june, offering an immersive coffee journey to employees and partners

The journey offers participants the opportunity to deepen their coffee knowledge, witness coffee harvesting and processing firsthand, and return enriched by the experience.

The destination is the Songwa plantation, located in the Mbeya region of Tanzania.

La Marzocco has been involved in this area for many years and has supported, from 2007 to 2023, numerous local projects through the non-profit initiative Songwa Estates, originally created in partnership with Probat and Mahlkönig, and which later evolved to become “Hands for Songwa”. The goal was to create a virtuous and impactful scenario for all parties: the companies who were involved at the time, all leaders in the coffee industry, are still today closely tied to the raw material and to the early stages of the coffee supply chain.

Introducing people to the daily life on a plantation shines a light on coffee origins and helps to spread awareness, coffee appreciation and culture and so it was important for the three manufacturers to give back in ways that could improve the lives of those who grow, harvest, and process coffee.

Through fundraising efforts, the three partners were able to finance projects that significantly improved the living conditions of the communities surrounding the plantation. These projects included building several new primary schools, building wells to provide the community with access to clean water,  building two new river bridges, and creating educational programs for children as well as economic support, especially during the pandemic. In 2023, a new locally based independent organization was established, the Hands for Songwa Foundation, which is now able to receive direct donations and continue the mission of the original project. In this way, real change can happen, and a meaningful difference can be made.

Each trip, typically organized during the harvest season, offers participants the chance to attend the inauguration of new facilities and infrastructures (or completion of specific CSR projects). This year, the group joined in the celebrations for the opening of a new bridge and a new church/community center and experienced the joy of a true community celebration. Thanks to the Foundation, which provided materials, and the local people, who contributed with their labor, the two previous structures were demolished and rebuilt with the goal of making them safer, stronger, and longer-lasting. The bridge now connects both sides of the river, shortening distances, while the church/community center serves as an important gathering place for the community. By the end of 2025, the Hands for Songwa Foundation will launch new projects for the upcoming year.

Should anyone wish to contribute, more details on how to donate (via bank transfer) is available here: https://handsforsongwa.com/donate.php

For further info https://handsforsongwa.com/ & https://www.instagram.com/handsforsongwa/