Coffee was Cleofas’s first love. From her earliest days on the farm, she found satisfaction in nurturing the land and producing something meaningful. But smallholder challenges loomed: limited training, scarce market access, and societal expectations as a woman in agriculture. Her ambitions seemed constrained by these realities.

Farmer School changed the game. Through technical training, mentorship, and seed capital, Cleofas honed her skills in sustainable farm management, coffee processing, and leadership. She attended the Women-Powered Coffee Summit in Córdoba, learned international market standards, and finally joined the export program. “The program showed me that both women and men can thrive in coffee farming. With knowledge and support, we can grow and succeed together.”