Odette's Story

Sometimes the biggest catalyst for life change is a new perspective. 

Time and again we see that while the tangible skills and materials that our program provides are needed, it’s often the so-called ‘soft’ skills of self esteem, leadership and household visioning that our mentors share that motivate everything else.  

Odette, her husband Helmas and their six children have experienced the impact of both tangible and soft skills and their resulting life change since joining the Kula Fellowship Program.  

As farmers, the family often faced challenges that were difficult to overcome- high costs and low income, without a clear way forward.  Ultimately the discouragement led Odette to consider leaving coffee farming and selling the livestock she had acquired.  When she began the Fellowship Program, however, the self esteem trainings bolstered her confidence and reminded her what she is capable of, and she decided to push forward.  She increased her livestock again, and, after attending several coffee farming training sessions, reinvested in her coffee farm, doubling her number of trees and deciding to give more time to caring for them well.  She saw that with the proper attention and input, coffee could be a valuable asset for her family- and that she was more than able to make it successful.      

There’s also been lifestyle change at home.  As a result of heath and nutrition trainings, Odette learned the importance of incorporating vegetables into the family’s diet, something that hadn’t been a consideration previously.  Now they have 3 small gardens for home produce, providing plenty of vegetables for everyday meals as well as extra to share with neighbors and friends.

Stories like Odette’s remind us of the importance of every little part of our work- the way a message of self-belief and resilience can resonate enough to influence someone to keep going; how a little extra knowledge can provide the confidence to see a new future; that everyday routine changes can result in greater physical and emotional health; and that ultimately it’s all essential when working alongside the uniqueness of each individual.