Today is National Coffee Day in the U.S. and as baristas around the country hand out free cups of joe, we wanted to share with you the faces of some of the people who grow the stuff that fuels our busy lives!

Josephat Nivin, in front of his home in Kinyamakobe, Uganda.

Coffee farmer Teddy Namagembe, of Mubende, Uganda.

Mubende coffee farmer Rapheal Kulumba with coffee cherries.

Coffee cherries in a tree near Mubende.

Meet Josephat Nivin of Kinyamakobe, Uganda

Like many farmers in Uganda, Josephat Nivin grows coffee, as well as maize, cassava, beans and livestock. This diversification is critical for his success, because crops like coffee take many months to yield fruit. Josephat’s first loan through Opportunity Uganda’s Mubende branch provided the required capital to purchase fertilizer, seeds and herbicides for his crop. Because his loan officer is knowledgeable about what will ensure the success of these crops, Josephat was well-equipped to purchase the proper amounts of each kind of input for his plot size.