The billiard halls in Marsella are places of conversation where fresh coffee is never lacking. The town consumes an average of five cups of coffee per person per day.
The “jeepaos” are public transport to reach the most difficult corners of the surrounding coffee landscape. “The curling mountains and stone paths make it difficult to move people and coffee,” says Juan.
A picker walks the path through La Piscina (“The Pool”), the closest estate to Marsella. Its size and proximity to the town mean that many pickers like to work here.
A child runs through the courtyard of the huge House of Marsella Culture to their band class. The building, which also houses a museum of Paisa culture, is a prime example of the local architectural typography, a fusion between Spanish cultural patterns and indigenous culture of the region adapted specifically for coffee production.
Maria Ángel Londoño, “Panchita,” has picked coffee for 75 of her 80 years. “She never had an education because her father was very conservative and demanded that daughters never intervene in society,” says Juan. She doesn’t think picking coffee is a good way to live, so she made sure her daughters received an education so that they wouldn’t need to “live what she had to live.”
Coffee pickers start their workday from 5am, even when the sun hasn’t yet risen. An average adult picker will collect 80–100 kg a day, but the most skilled aim to collect more than 200 kg of cherry daily. Young pickers only reach 40–50 kg. For this, pickers will earn €49 (US$55) a week.
Noelba Garcia (55) and her daughter Manuela (14) pose for a portrait together. “Noelba tells me that the best thing she can teach Manuela is the ability to survive any adversity,” says Juan. When coffee prices fell in 2018, Noelba – a coffee picker – had to take on additional work in hotels and made chorizos (which sold well) to bolster her income. Despite this, her monthly salary doesn’t exceed €180 (US$200). Manuela is studying at an agricultural school, but she doesn’t enjoy working in the field. She doesn’t feel like she’s a part of the coffee community.
Julián Rosas teaches other children from Marsella’s troubled areas how to brew filter coffee, a skill he learned in the “Cafeteritos de Marsella” program of the Marsella Juega y Educa Foundation. Created by Spanish architect Javier Sánchez, the program encourages young people to explore and adopt the local coffee culture through games and science. Many of the program’s attendees dream of having their own business one day.
Julián Rosas教其他来自Marsella动乱地区的孩子们如何煮过滤咖啡，这是他在参加Marsella Juega y Educa基金会中的“Cafeteritos de Marsella”项目时所中学到的技能。该项目是由一位西班牙建筑师Javier Sanchez创建的，目的是鼓励年轻人通过游戏和科学来探索和接受当地的咖啡文化。许多参加这个项目的人都梦想有一天能拥有一家自己的公司。
Salomé López and Sofia Cortés are beneficiaries of the Marsella Juega y Educa Foundation, supported by coffee growers in the region. In the first year after its founding, the soccer school (Sonreír No Cuesta Nada, “Smiles are Free”) was first runner-up in the national championship.
Salome Lopez和Sofia Cortes是Marsella Juega y Educa基金会的受益者，该基金会是由该地区的咖啡种植者赞助的。在该基金会成立的第一年，足球学校(Sonreir No Cuesta Nada, Smiles are Free)首次取得了全国足球锦标赛的亚军。
JUAN PÁEZ是哥伦比亚 Bogotá 的一名自由摄影师。若想对他的作品了解更多，请看该摄影师邮箱@juanpaez83中的照片墙。
