This story starts, as the best ones often do, with a great cup of coffee and a chance encounter.
Last September, while we were in Nairobi, we took a trip out to Coffee Lab—a gorgeous little speciality roaster and café tucked away in the city’s greener suburbs. We went for the coffee (ofcourse!), but we left having made a real connection. We got chatting with the business’ founder, Wanjiru, and immediately hit it off. She’s exactly the kind of passionate, sharp, and kind person you hope to meet.
Moses, from Young Teens in Talent (YTIT), was with us that day, and we found ourselves telling Wanjiru all about the hub in Mathare. We half-joked, “You should take one of our older kids on sometime—get them trained up!”
We all laughed, finished our coffees, and didn’t think much more of it until a month later. Scrolling through Instagram, we saw Coffee Lab’s post: they were hiring a new barista. On a whim, we dropped Wanjiru a message. “Any chance for one of the YTIT teens?” We knew it was a long shot—they wanted someone experienced.
But Wanjiru, being who she is, didn’t just say no. After a little convincing she said, “Send them over.”
A week later, three teens from the hub were sitting in her cafe for an interview. One of them was Rich—quiet, attentive, and keen, stood out to the team and he got the spot.
So, our Coffee World Change programme sponsored a three-month internship. We covered Rich’s salary and travel; Coffee Lab gave him lunch every day. For Rich, this wasn’t just a job—it was a doorway into a whole new world. Growing up in Mathare, he’d never been around specialty coffee. He’d never even tried a proper cup.
He learned fast. We started getting photos: first of the equipment, then of his latte art.. But the real change wasn’t in the coffee. Wanjiru told us how the shy young man who used to take a deep breath every time she walked into the room began to find his feet. He started leading shifts. He looked customers in the eye. The fear faded, and in its place came a quiet, steady confidence, still growing, but the change was evident.
At the end of the three months, the question hung in the air: had he done enough?
We’re over the moon to tell you that he had. Wanjiru was so impressed with Rich’s progress and attitude that she’s offered him an ongoing training role at Coffee Lab.
In just twelve weeks, Rich has gone from never having made a coffee to building a career in it. He’s left behind long, uncertain hours in a local shoe shop for a path filled with skill, respect, and a future he can shape himself.
This is what the Coffee World Change initiative is all about. It’s not just about donations; it’s about opening doors you didn’t even know were there. It’s about a chance meeting in a cafe, a founder with an open mind, and a young man ready to prove himself.
We’re so grateful to Wanjiru and the whole Coffee Lab team – if youre ever in Nairobi, go check them out! And we couldn’t be prouder of Rich.
Here’s to the next chapter.
This is what change brews like
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