At Bayaya we market premium-quality coffee, ensuring that farmers uphold standards and earn sustainable incomes to support lasting livelihoods.
Growing up in the rich highlands of Sironko in Eastern Uganda, Meridah Nandudu watched as coffee fueled the livelihoods of her community.
Yet, behind the rich aroma of freshly harvested beans lay a stark of reality—many women, including those in her own neighborhood, endured poverty, domestic violence, and systemic exclusion from economic opportunities.
Determined to rewrite this narrative, Meridah ventured into the coffee trade, supplying parchment coffee to out-buyers. But with lean skills and resources, her business struggled to grow. She knew she needed more than just passion—she needed knowledge and support to turn her vision into reality.
In 2022, a life-changing opportunity knocked on her door. Through the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands-funded Skilling in Agripreneurship for increased Youth Employment (SAY) Project, implemented by AVSI Foundation, Meridah underwent specialized training in Coffee Quality Management at Ubora Specialty Crops.
Beyond skilling, the SAY Project supported Meridah with booster pacakages such as: a coffee sample hauler and a moisture meter. Armed with new expertise and mentorship, she relaunched her business—Bayaya Coffee, derived from the Lugisu word for “sisterhood.”
Building women one cup at a time
Bayaya Coffee is more than a coffee enterprise —it is a social movement dedicated to uplifting women and youth. Meridah works with over 200 vulnerable women, many of whom have survived domestic violence, poverty, and economic exclusion.
She directly employs 20 workers and collaborates with a network of 350 coffee out-growers, ensuring that each farmer upholds premium-quality standards while earning a decent and sustainable income.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. Meridah emerged winner of multiple prestigious awards, including the AVSI-SAY Project Agribusiness Challenge Fund Competition, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) High Innovator Award, the Rising Woman Challenge Competition by the DFCU Bank, and Best Farmer Competition Award by Vision Group, securing a cumulative grant of €30,000 to scale her mission.
Inspiring a new generation of coffee entrepreneurs
The entrepreneur is now a mentor under the SAY Project, guiding young entrepreneurs—especially women—to take coffee as more than a crop, but as a pathway to economic freedom.
With her eyes set on expanding into the export market, she envisions employing more young people, strengthening Uganda’s coffee sector, and ensuring that no woman in her community is left behind.
“I am happy that my journey in coffee is making a difference in my community,” she says with pride.
With her resilience, innovation, and a commitment to sisterhood, Meridah Nandudu is proving that a simple coffee bean can transform lives.
We engage coffee farming as a powerful tool for socio-economic transformation, especially for women and youth in our communities.
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