Brewing Opportunity: Kenya Coffee School’s Barista Mtaani Program Launches National Initiative to Combat Youth Unemployment
NAIROBI, KENYA – [November 14, 2025] – The Kenya Coffee School (KCS) today announced the national expansion of its successful grassroots youth empowerment project, Barista Mtaani. Operating under the powerful mission, “Train. Empower. Connect.,” the initiative is transforming Kenya’s high-quality coffee industry into a robust platform for job creation and entrepreneurship in local neighborhoods (mtaani).
Kenya, globally recognized for its premium coffee beans, is now leveraging this national treasure to solve a national crisis. Barista Mtaani directly addresses youth unemployment by creating skilled, business-savvy coffee professionals who are equipped to launch their own micro-enterprises and secure high-value jobs.
The Three Pillars of Transformation
The Barista Mtaani training is holistic, designed to turn raw potential into sustainable livelihoods:
1. TRAIN: Mastering Specialty Coffee Skills
Training is made highly accessible through mobile units and pop-up coffee labs. The curriculum is rigorous, covering international café standards and essential value-addition skills:
- Technical Mastery: Hands-on training in espresso extraction, Milk Science and Latte Art, and alternative brewing methods (V60, AeroPress).
- Value Addition: Introduction to Roasting Fundamentals and Sensory Analysis (cupping and grading) to ensure graduates can capture higher profit margins by controlling product quality.
2. EMPOWER: Fostering Entrepreneurship
The program focuses heavily on turning job seekers into job creators. Graduates are provided with the tools for economic self-sufficiency:
- Business Literacy: Comprehensive instruction on costing, pricing, inventory management, and accessing microloans for startup capital.
- Startup Support: Providing specific, low-cost blueprints for launching micro-enterprises, such as mobile coffee carts and sleek kiosks.
- Digital Integration: Essential digital skills training, including the use of mobile payment wallets (e.g., M-Pesa) and Point-of-Sale (POS) systems for modern, cashless operations.
3. CONNECT: Building a Sustainable Ecosystem
KCS establishes a strong network to ensure long-term success and sustainability for the entire sector:
- Industry Linkages: Facilitating Job Linkages & Mentorship by connecting graduates directly with partner hotels, roasteries, and industry leaders.
- Promoting Local Consumption: Actively encouraging the domestic market for high-quality Kenyan coffee, thereby strengthening demand and creating a virtuous cycle that directly benefits smallholder farmers.
- Community Impact: Graduates establish coffee spaces that serve as vital community hubs, fostering local pride and connection.
Brewing a Brighter Future
”Barista Mtaani is more than a skills program; it’s an investment in Kenya’s economic resilience,” said a KCS spokesperson. “We are proving that the solution to our unemployment challenge can be found right here at home, leveraging a national treasure. We are not just teaching young people to make coffee; we are teaching them to run businesses, manage cash flow, and become anchors of their communities.”
The program is currently inviting corporate partners, hotel chains, and microfinance institutions to join the “Connect” pillar and help scale the job creation and enterprise launch goals nationally.
About Kenya Coffee School (KCS):
The Kenya Coffee School is a leading professional training institution dedicated to raising the standards of coffee expertise in East Africa. It is committed to leveraging the power of coffee to create sustainable social and economic impact across Kenya.
Contact: 0707503647 or 0704375390