First Steps on the Stenophylla Farm: Training, Tagging, and Building Community in Kenema

After a long journey from Switzerland to Sierra Leone, we finally arrived in Kenema — the heart of our Coffea stenophylla project.

The first day on the farm felt truly special. Together with Hannah, Magnus, Samai, and Hazaratu, we began the process of geo-tagging the young Stenophylla plants — one by one. Using the KoboCollect app, every tree now has its own digital record: GPS position, height, health, soil condition, and shade coverage.

We were warmly welcomed by the village chief and community, whose support means everything. They’ll be the hands and hearts behind maintaining and caring for the 3,000 trees in the years to come.

We also explored the area to plan for future water tanks and a small bridge over the stream that separates the farm from the road — essential for the rainy season.

The whole journey is being filmed by Abass for our upcoming “Stenophylla Farm Journey” video — an honest look at what it means to grow a rare, climate-resilient coffee species in Sierra Leone.

Matthias | Hannah | Magnus | Samai | Hazaratu and the Kenema Team