Emiliana Nita Rensi
Since his first visit in 2015, Nicolas has stayed each night, alone or with those who accompanied him, at the house of Filipus Hagus, a coffee farmer who has since died, and his wife Emiliana. She is called Mama Yani, according to the name of the eldest child, which is common for this area.
Mama Yani has three grown-up daughters and owns five small coffee plantations (3.5 ha in total). On average, she harvests 300 kg of Arabica and 200 kg of Robusta annually. Surely this is not very much, but a fact if you prefer biodiversity on the "plantation". Actually, you have to imagine a small forest, full of trees and bushes of various fruits. So quite different from what is commonly known as a coffee plantation from pictures around the world.
We are grateful and happy that Mama Yani as well as Nobertus Teming directly asked us to live the two-king principle. Now she sells her best coffee yields to us - without a cooperative, from individual entrepreneur to individual entrepreneur. With the sales, Mama Yani provides for four other family members within her home.
Her second daughter, Rosiana Karni, was directly trained by us at the beginning of 2023 and now works in the new KAFFEEkostBAR we opened in Labuan Bajo, Flores. After all, who can best tell the story of a coffee farmer's sorrows and joys if not he himself and his family?
The Mama Yanis House is still open for visits, also for our regular customers who want to have a direct encounter with the farmers and embark on a coffee journey. Contact us if you too are interested.
Nobertus Teming
Nobertus Teming has known Nicolas since his 2nd coffee trip to Flores, in October 2015. He is a responsible man who thinks of his fellow man and who cares about the well-being of the villagers, and that is why he has been volunteering in local politics for over 15 years. He uncovered a lot of injustice or corruption and did not shy away from the "consequences" insofar as he knew that he was walking the path of peace (not anarchy) together with the people.
He is currently serving on the board of directors within the village administration and also with ASNIKOM. He knows that a whole lot of enlightenment and correction is needed to fix the broken state of his village (with the people). He wants to walk the path with God and no longer on his own strength.
He won 1st prize for his fine robusta beans representing ASNIKOM when he first entered a competition in 2012. He cried out of gratitude to God that his Robusta beans received so much appreciation and thus also fetched a very high selling price in his eyes, something he could NEVER have dreamed of until then.
Mr. Teming's coffee plantations are located between 1400 and 1600 m above sea level and yield at least 600 kg of Arabica and 100 kg of Robusta beans. Like all other farmers in the village of Tangkul, the income from coffee sales goes primarily to the education of the children, but thanks to the direct connection to us, he can now internalise what is most important in life. We remain close to Mr Teming.
Benediktus Rudin
Nicolas has known Benediktus Rudin since the beginning of 2015. As a founding member of ASNIKOM he is a quality controller and also a trainer, who educates other farmers, e.g. in knowing the best way to nurture coffee plants or having a holistic approach when it comes to coffee farming. He teaches them not just the theory but in very practical terms.
Early in the morning (around 6 AM) he is already on his way to his coffee garden where he is taking care of his goats and the coffee plants. Around 5 PM he is back at his house.
God used Mr. Rudin to help us „purify“ the Two-Kings-Principle in the beginning of 2023. ASNIKOM’s leading figures had abused our confidence in them throughout the years. Through Mr. Rudin’s efforts we were able to get together a small group of mature coffee farmers who are committed to deliver the highest quality of coffee.
Mr. Rudin’s plantation of approx. 1 ha produces 400 kg Arabica and 500 kg Robusta per year.
Rosalia Diam
Rosalia Diam, often called Mama Tota, is a widow who is very talented in handicraft work and likes to pass on her knowledge and skills to other people. She looks after the coffee plantations left behind with her second youngest son.
She ALWAYS laughs very heartily and thus keeps her heart grateful to God despite suffering in life and tries to digest life's circumstances with humour. Her late husband was well respected in Tangkul village due to his craftsmanship and is now also greatly missed. Her son wishes to be able to continue his father's avocation, but at present he lacks the necessary tools to do so and therefore wishes that through the two-king principle, financial resources can be formed to be able to pursue this activity soon.
Mama Tota owns plantations totalling about 2 ha and has an annual yield of at least 150 kg of Arabica and 100 kg of Robusta. Compared to the other farmers, it is really little, but she does not complain about it and definitely wants to increase the coming yield through diligence and prayers to Jesus Christ. We stand by Mama Tota!
Bonifasius Feni
Mr. Feni joined the cooperative in 2014 and he learns quite fast how a farmer shall increase the quality of their processed beans. He applied the given knowledge successfully on his 4 ha coffee plantation with a yearly yield from at least 400 kg Arabica and 200 kg Robusta. The same like Mr. Rudin in Tangkul village, he too is a quality controller and also a trainer.
Again and again he was chosen to be the representant and the speaker on behalf of ASNIKOM at certain forums and exhibitions that were held outside the island of Flores and therefore he understood quite fast that “being lucky” is not somewhere else, but actually it’s on his own house and garden, as long he realize that God’s blessing is what he needs and therefore faithfully he shall manage it too.
He admitted that he too, just like other farmers within the cooperative “the devil” itself when he practiced lies. Now he wants to live in the light for God and therefore we are hugging him with the given Two-Kings-Principle.
Ardianus Basten
Adrianus Basten was born in 1965. As a father of 5 children who lost his wife and their mother due to sickness five years ago, he was a man of discipline who strove for better quality. Therefore he was very much looking forward to receiving further training in cultivating his coffee trees.
We got to know him through Mr Rudin who, while taking a nap, dreamed of Jesus telling him to connect Mr Basten with us what he immediately did. That was in February 2023.
Unfortunately in May 2023 Adrianus Basten died suddenly and unexpectedly. He left behind his children and his second wife Emiliana Nanung who raised all children as her own, especially the youngest who is severely disabled. Mr Bastens coffee plantation of 2.5ha which yields approximately 350 kg of Arabica beans and 350kg of Robusta beans every year has now to be taken care of by his family.
To Adrianus joining the Two-Kings-Principle was the solution to provide for his family and their needs in a much better way than before. Now that he has passed away that solution still stands and hopefully from now on we will be able to work together with Emiliana Nanung and the grown-up children.