Working for Saffron Coffee, BGS Old Boy Derek Smith '95 calls Luang Prabang in Laos home. The company was introduced in 2006 to help hill tribe farmers replace their illegal traditional crop of opium with coffee. Smith's path to Laos started at BGS, where he involved himself in sport and music, learning the value of hard work and developing a passion for teaching and coaching.
After graduating from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in human movement and economics in 1999, and a Master of Teaching from QUT in 2001, he went on to teach in schools in Charters Towers and Brisbane. A love of coffee, developed while working as a barista during his time at university, led him to purchase and manage a coffee vending business for two years, with profits going to local charities.
Together with his wife, the pair made the life-changing decision to move to Malaysia in 2012. After working as a schoolteacher for 13 years, Smith learned about Saffron Coffee, and started work at the company, combining his passions for social development and coffee.
"Given our guarantee to purchase all coffee grown in partner villages, Arabica coffee provides a pathway out of poverty for Hmong, Yao, Gasak and Khmu minorities," Smith said. "By directly engaging with farmers we avoid the need for corporate coffee plantations, providing planting materials, support, and ongoing training covering coffee plot cultivation and harvest. We focus on long-term viability for hill tribe farmers, working with 780 farming families in 18 villages."
Smith reflected on social development: "My opinion would be that the world needs more idealists. More people willing to dream about things being better and then set about decreasing the distance between the real and the ideal. There's so much scope in Southeast Asia for people to use their business skills and experience for social development."
Source: Grammar News Summer 2016.