‘All of the farmers in Atsabe sub-district use traditional methods to cultivate coffee. Although this is good for sustaining culture, it has a negative effect on coffee quality. As coffee is extremely popular globally, we need to be able to teach modern ways to process it,’ says Ameta, a 25-year-old business owner.

In Timor-Leste, the development of high-quality coffee beans from different municipalities and small-farm owners has proved challenging despite the vast potential for quality coffee. Rural farming often leads to a lack of market accessibility for small-scale farmers as large monopoly companies in Timor-Leste drive the coffee market and limit diversity in supermarkets.

“Coffee prices and quality is the same every year which limits farmers’ ability to improve and produce better quality coffee and then sell it in Dili”, said Ameta.

Ameta and his family own a small coffee farm in Atsabe, Ermera. Ameta’s family previously had very limited access to markets in Dili and therefore the sales were very limited.

Ameta aimed to overcome this problem through developing his own business initiative. Ameta has been attending the Knua Juventude Fila-Liman Centre since the launch of the Centre in August 2017. At Knua, youth entrepreneurship and community engagement skills are provided during training sessions. This allows youths like Ameta to design their own business plans and grow their business.

‘Knua helped with the business plan. Before Knua, I didn’t even know what to do about my own business. Knua helped to connect me to many different people, including business investors …,’ says Ameta.

Ameta now manufactures his family’s coffee beans. After picking the beans, Ameta will roast, process and distribute them to supermarkets and stores in Dili. Ameta now supplies coffee to local business’ around Dili, including Black Box cafe and bar in Farol. Ameta’s business enables a wider range of coffee to be available in supermarkets and provides an income to his family. Ameta’s business also facilitates capacity-building as he can teach his family about high-quality coffee production. Having positively impacted his community, he hopes to inspire other young entrepreneurs to participate and utilize the skills training provided at Knua.

‘Knua is a really good place for young people in Timor-Leste because young people have a lot of ideas. This acts as a place for young people to come and learn about business plans and have somewhere to put their ideas into practice’ he says.

The project reinforces Timor-Leste’s dedication to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda. The Knua Centre provides a space for innovation which underpins its objective of enabling youth to engage in decent work. Ameta’s business is strengthening youth civic and economic engagement and will continue supplying high-grade coffee, provide economic opportunities for many different actors, ensuring that small scale rural projects are maintained.