It’s not so much an exaggeration to say that Gloriellas came into being thanks to us. At the same time, the project is currently and for a long time our flagship. From the very beginning, we knew that we wanted to focus on interesting and meaningful projects and concentrate on supporting women and girls in the coffee industry. Our corporate philosophy is simple: we like to bring European roasters coffee from inspiring women farmers who often have to deal with difficult situations, such as single mothers, and by supporting them financially, we open the door to more life opportunities.

The cooperation with the Gloriellas Association is something we have been waiting for for a long time. We wanted to work with women since the beginning of the company, but it took some time for the right project to come along. We needed to get the company up and running, set it up, and honestly we’ve had a lot of beautiful collaborations with men or entire families. So why be exclusive necessarily? We were always about transparency and long term honest relationships. And of course there have been a few women amongst those from the beginning. But Gloriellas is the first association, an all-female association that we have big plans for in the future and which actually came about in a way thanks to us.

History of Gloriellas

The Gloriellas Association has only recently been formed and some of its members say we have a hand in it. How? You may know our history – two girls who didn’t know each other very well travelled together on Colombian farms. Through a friend, we were put in touch with a huge source of inspiration – Ana Gloria Rodriguez from the Huila area. While chatting with her, we discovered that we both wanted to do the same thing, so instead of starting two competing companies, we started thinking about combining our skills. Ana supported us in this as much as she could – she connected us with the local community, arranged farms, cupping, and slowly the whole export thing, she just couldn’t offer us coffee. For now… While we got the Chicas Industry going, Ana finished her contract and with some knowledge we were finally able to buy at least a little of her coffee. In the meantime, Ana has inspired many other women with her attitude and has found that she has something to pass on to them. Showing them that everyone has options, that everyone “can” and there is no need to be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. She invented the Campamento de mujeres project and we at Chicas were happy to contribute to it. After three weekend runs, about 30 women were “trained” and the impact of one small idea was so great that right at the end an association inspired by Ana was created – Gloriellas. It is not “her” association, but at least in the beginning Ana was the driving force, the main leader of the project.

Association today

After a year of operation, however, the association is now led by other women. Ana is still a member, but has receded into the background. We all know that the most viable and sustainable projects cannot hang on one person, and Ana knows it too. The point is to get everyone involved and not just rely on her. Fortunately, there are many strong personalities and stories in the association. Each of the women involved carries with her her story, her personal experiences and skills, and her dreams. Many of them also involve their family.

How is the Gloriellas association different?

There are many associations (even purely female ones) in the department of Huila. However, many of them only operate “on paper” and do not really do much business. The Gloriellas, on the other hand, have thrown themselves into creating and implementing projects from the start, with such speed that they have become known in the local media. Larger and better-known organizations are partnering with them, wanting them to be part of their projects, all in a very short year of operation. In particular, their goal is to continue as they were started – from a small project with a focus on education, information sharing and personal growth. This is probably the biggest difference we perceive compared to other associations. And those who learn are behind the ears. Or rather: he who learns is constantly moving. We move each other. And interestingly enough, the girls are pushing the other members of their family. Initially skeptical, partners, dads or brothers are now the first to ask about other activities. “When will the next training be? And what do you have planned now? Any new courses? Training?”

Quick start

We wanted to take Ana to Europe from the moment we met her. It’s been a long-time dream of hers… But we had to wait a little longer for that moment. In the autumn of 2024, our dream came true, thanks to the cooperation with our clients from the Kmen roastery and their initiative. Ana didn’t come on her own, but brought with her the coffees of many other women, representing the whole association. The fuss that was made about it in Colombia! Less than a year after the founding! In addition, the association is very small (in terms of the number of members and the total area that the farms have after counting) and it is already showing its coffees at festivals in Europe! There were two or three articles about Ana and the association right away. We had the opportunity to show what the girls can do before their coffees reached Europe. Shortly after that, the new harvest came in and we arranged the first container made up of 80% just their coffees. Fingers crossed for more collaborations like this! And of course not only with us.

Stories of women farmers

The stories of Gloriellas members alone speak volumes. Let’s take a look at some of them whose coffee we have imported in these first batches of our collaboration.

Ana Gloria Rodriguez

Ana probably needs no special introduction. Her coffee has been on our menu for a while now and you may have heard her story a few times. Nevertheless, we don’t want to leave her out here, as a full member and former president of Gloriellas.

Argenys Rojas

There are enough stories behind this woman to make a book. And so it will be, Argenys is writing her biography. It’s about poverty, hard work, family tragedies and the indomitable will that led her to study law – so she could fight injustice. And she’s currently one of the members of an association that also represents women in local politics.

Lucelly Trejos

Young, inspiring, talented and above all incredibly energetic and almost unstoppable. That’s how Lucelly strikes me every time we meet. She’s entrepreneurial and knows what she wants and goes after it. She is such an inspiration to her whole family and her husband! And her coffee? They’re simply divine!

Luisa Fernanda Nieto

A lady who has been in the coffee world for a relatively short time, but jumped straight into the world of choice. Originally a chef by profession, she is able to translate her sense of taste into her coffee. She has fantastic Bourbons and she and her family bet everything on them. It has also paid off big time!

Estefanny Jaramillo

One of the youngest members of the association, who took up coffee after studying in Bogotá. She comes with new energy and vision and wants to turn coffee into a thriving business for her whole family. To create a business where all generations will work together to develop the legacy passed down by her grandfather.

Are you interested in the stories of “our” women farmers? You can find out much more about them under this link. How about supporting them and tasting their coffees? 🙂