Listening from Kwau: Growing Hope Through Coffee

The Udohotma Bentara Papua team once again met and held a dialogue with the community of Kwau Village, Mokwam District. The meeting was attended by the Head of Kwau Village, Mr. Yustinus Mandacan; the Kwau Village Agriculture Treasurer, Mr. Apolos Wonggor; and local coffee advisor Narson Mandacan.

The meeting took place under circumstances that were not entirely expected. Due to limitations in communicating the invitation, some community members were in town or working in their gardens and were unable to attend. Even so, the gathering remained an important space to listen to the community’s stories, potential, and aspirations.

Language also played an important role in the conversation. As some community members are more comfortable communicating in their mother tongue than in Indonesian, Village Head Yustinus Mandacan helped translate the discussion so that everyone present could understand the purpose of the visit.

At the meeting, the women of Kwau responded with a simple but meaningful message:

“We also welcome it, and we want our village to progress even further.”

Their hopes are closely connected to a coffee initiative that began several years ago.

In 2022, Rudi, the former Head of Udohotma Station, provided initial assistance to the community in establishing a greenhouse and coffee nursery. Bentara Papua also brought Sigarar Utang coffee seedlings to Kwau. However, the number of seedlings was not enough to meet the needs of all community members.

The community then requested additional coffee seedlings to be purchased through the Kwau Village Fund. Approximately 5,000 coffee seeds were subsequently procured to support the community’s coffee development.

Today, the community continues to express its hope for further assistance in developing their coffee, from seedling production and cultivation to harvesting.

For Bentara Papua, this meeting was a reminder that meaningful collaboration is not simply about bringing a program to a community. It begins by coming, listening, understanding, and creating space for communities to shape the future they want for their own village.

And from Kwau, that hope was voiced together:

“Kampung Kwau, BISA!”