BALTIMORE, MD – Lutheran World Relief is proud to announce the launch of the MECIHO Accelerator (MECIHO-A) project in Indonesia, funded by The Starbucks Foundation. This initiative builds on the success of previous collaborations in the country, including the Kopi Nande and MECIHO projects, which have directly empowered over 10,000 women and their families, and impacted nearly 44,000 people in North Sumatra.
The MECIHO-A project, which runs through January 2028, strengthens entrepreneurship, financial and leadership skills for 10,000 women while improving the health, sanitation and living conditions for families in the coffee-growing areas of Karo and Deliserdang Regencies. Champions from the earlier Kopi Nande and MECIHO projects will remain involved as mentors for participants in the new communities.
Key highlights of MECIHO-A
- Garbage banks: MECIHO-A expands Lutheran World Relief’s garbage bank model which works with community members to establish businesses that recycle, upcycle, refurbish, or dispose of waste collected by the community. These businesses improve vulnerable families’ economic situations while helping reduce pollution and waste in the community.
- WASH committees: The project fosters women’s leadership through water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) committees.
- Access to finance: MECIHO-A employs Lutheran World Relief’s proven framework, offering financial literacy, entrepreneurial training, and marketing skills to empower participants.
- Arts-based community development (ABCD): This key aspect of the program leverages traditional art forms to engage entire communities in challenging norms and fostering leadership in WASH that reflects the broader community.
- Private-public sector collaboration: Lutheran World Relief works closely with the local and regency governments as well as the Starbucks Farmer Support Center to achieve project goals. This includes agricultural training from the Starbucks Farmer support center and coordinating with government stakeholders to ensure project activities complement planned government actions.
Lutheran World Relief in Indonesia and Beyond
Lutheran World Relief has worked in Indonesia since 2004, addressing both emergency and development needs by building community-based resilience through improving livelihoods, food security, agricultural practices, and disaster risk reduction. Lutheran World Relief’s work in Indonesia has focused on coffee-growing communities in Aceh, North Sumatra, and Flores. Since 2014, Lutheran World Relief has been active in Karo Regency, helping communities recover from the Mt. Sinabung eruption and previously worked with cocoa farmers in Deliserdang.
Lutheran World Relief is active in coffee-growing communities globally and has also collaborated with The Starbucks Foundation in Colombia. Through its work in coffee and cocoa communities, Lutheran World Relief has promoted the adoption of best practices in agriculture, established new governance norms, and advanced community knowledge and use of best practices in WASH. Lutheran World Relief acts as a convener of stakeholders across the value chain to improve the lives of smallholder farmers, leading to improved wellbeing for families, women, girls, and all community members.
Media contact
Caldwell Bishop
Manager, Strategic Partnerships
@email