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キョジータの『ナミビア通信』第19号

久々の更新です。ナミビアで数学教育隊員として活動中の髙橋恭太朗です。

私の任期も残り２か月ほどとなりました。

今回は、『ナミビアでのコーヒー事情』をお届けします。

私はコーヒーが大好きなので、つい気合いが入り、たくさん書いてしまいました。

前後編に渡ってお届けします。

My Coffee Life in Namibia – Part 1

Coffee-Producing Countries and JICA Volunteers

Currently, JICA volunteers are working in around 70 countries across the world. More than half of these countries are said to produce coffee beans. Many countries whose names we often see in coffee shops — such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Nepal — are also countries where JICA volunteers are currently working.

Before being assigned to Namibia, I spent two and a half months training at the JICA Nihonmatsu Training Centre in Fukushima Prefecture. As you can see in the photo on the right, I used to grind coffee beans from different parts of the world every day and make coffee for my fellow volunteers. Although coffee beans may look very similar, their flavours and aromas can be completely different.

For me, coffee is more than just a drink. It allows us to experience countries from around the world, broaden our horizons and bring people together. Coffee is truly a wonderful gift from the countries where it is grown.

Can You Get Coffee Beans in Namibia?

Before I was assigned to Namibia, there was one thing I was worried about: “Will I be able to get coffee beans?” I simply could not imagine spending two years without coffee.

After arriving in Namibia, I did some research and found that coffee beans are hardly produced commercially in the country. This is because Namibia’s extremely dry climate is not suitable for growing coffee.

However, you can still find coffee beans from all over the world in Namibia.

Swakopmund, a coastal town, in particular, has a number of coffee roasteries and cafés. They roast beans imported from different parts of the world and serve wonderful cups of coffee. Some roasteries also supply their roasted beans to cafés and supermarkets across Namibia. In this way, coffee culture has taken root in Namibia, and you can enjoy coffees from around the world in many different places across the country.

A Namibia Volunteer’s Recommended Café ①

My first recommendation is Two Beards Coffee. Its roastery and café are located a little outside the centre of Swakopmund, and it has become one of my favourite places. As you can see in the photo on the left, even the entrance looks a bit like the entrance to a theme park.

Among its African coffees, Two Beards offers beans from Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya. It also has an impressive selection from around the world, including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Papua New Guinea.

The spacious café is a great place to sit back and relax. As coffee beans are regularly roasted on site, the whole café is filled with the wonderful aroma of freshly roasted coffee. There is also a good selection of food, including sandwiches and pizzas.

Two Beards also has another branch in the centre of Swakopmund, which mainly serves takeaway customers.

To be continued in the next issue.