Identify and select community partners, focusing on independent women's associations or women’s groups/committees within existing cooperatives.

How do we do it differently? You don't need to be a land owner to join bean voyage's program as a coffee producer.

Conduct a baseline diagnosis using the Thriving Business Index (TBI) to understand the businesses' current state and set measurable goals.

What does the Thriving Business Index (TBI) measure? Our TBI is informed by Dr. Naila Kabeer's Empowerment Framework where she illustrates that when women can access the right conditions and resources, they will accomplish their dreams and a greater sense of agency. The questions range from their access to training opportunities, and finance, to their level of stress caused by financial situations and sense of agency.

Host two in-person boot camps (2 days each) comprising in-person sessions and additional virtual (offline) masterclasses, delivering essential training and skills development.

Our core module consists of gender and community, leadership and entrepreneurship, and business development.

Based on the need of the community, we provide add-on training on: farm renovation, processing and quality improvement, income diversification and food security.

How do we do it differently? We specialize in gender-sensitive and inclusive methodology. We have worked with over 1,000 producers in Costa Rica and Mexico to deliver our bite-sized learning materials.

Provide mentorship support to help participants develop robust business proposals aimed at diversifying their income sources.

What does this mentorship support look like? Mentors are often alumni of bean voyage program from the same farming communities or those on similar paths aimed at providing real-life tips on executing successful projects. They are recruited at the end of the programs for each cohort.

Disburse seed funds ranging from $500 to $10,000 per group to support the implementation of their business proposals.

Why Seed Fund? Women coffee farmers face even more challenges accessing capital from traditional financial institutions due to irregular income from coffee, but also the absence of asset ownership. While seed fund is not always enough to fully execute a business plan, it provides them with the initial push to start the project and to access additional capital at a later stage.

Organize a summit to bring together all participants for peer mentorship, networking, and knowledge sharing.

Why Summit (WPCS)? WPCS connects women producers to others in the network while also bringing their stories and insights to the attention of other industry professionals.

Implement a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework to track progress, assess impact, and adapt strategies as needed.

How do we do MEL? We conduct bi-annual surveys where participants provide their input, and host focus-group interviews and farm visits to deepen our understanding and learning.

Host a graduation ceremony to celebrate the accomplishment of the cohort participants, and pave the path for their future engagement. All graduates become part of Bean Voyage’s alumni group and are eligible to participate in alumni-focused activities and masterclasses.

Why Graduation? Many of the coffee producers shared that they never had attended a formal graduation or celebration of their accomplishments. The graduation is a place for them to get recognized for the successful accomplishments, but also get celebrated in their families and communities.