Colombian Widow and Mother Rebuilds Life After Struggles, Becomes National Barista Champion

For much of its recent history, Colombia has been plagued with violence. Since the 1960s, government forces, left-wing insurgents and right-wing paramilitaries have been engaged in a long-running armed conflict that has disrupted the lives of Colombians like Blanca Bernal and her family. Blanca Bernal has always lived in the Colombian department of Cundinamarca, first in the town of Guaduas, where she was born, and then in the town of Median, where she settled with her husband and their three children. For years they lived peacefully but in the 1990s, the violence escalated dramatically, fuelled by the cocaine trade.

As time went on, the family suffered increasingly from the effects of the violence. To escape the growing danger, the Bernal family planned to leave Median. They thought that going to Bogotá would be safer for them and that it would be easier for Bernal’s husband, a school principal, to find a job there. Unfortunately, Bernal’s husband was killed by guerillas before they could realize their plan.

The death of her husband changed Bernal’s world drastically. Over time, however, Bernal began rebuilding her life, thanks in part to ACDI/VOCA’s USAID-funded Specialty Coffee Program. Once she had spent all of her savings, Bernal went to work as an administrative assistant in a restaurant known for serving high-quality coffee. After a year, she began working for a coffee company called Amor Perfecto whose owner, Luis Fernando Velez, was president of the Colombian Specialty Coffee Association. He gave her the opportunity to work in the commercial department, and it was then when her passion for coffee took hold.

Bernal became more and more interested in the roasting and preparation of coffee. In 2006 this interest led her to participate in the First Barista Championship in Bogotá, an event organized by ACDI/VOCA. Although she did not win, the competition whetted her appetite to do better in the next championship. “After office hours I would stay training for at least three or four hours every day. I would use all my free time preparing myself and giving the best of me. I could not stop thinking that I would be the next National Barista Champion in 2007,” Bernal said.

At the Second National Barista Championship, held in November 2007 in Bogotá, Bernal’s dream came true: she became national champion.

Building on her success, Bernal attended the 2008 United States Barista Championship in Minneapolis as part of her training. In June 2008 she went on to participate in the World Barista Championship in Copenhagen where she performed well. She is determined to pursue her dream of becoming World Barista Champion in 2010.

“My life is now full of hope and expectations. My dream of winning the National Barista Championship came true, and now I am looking forward to being a World Barista Champion,” Bernal said.

In addition to winning acclaim, Bernal has rebuilt her life. All three of her children are professionals, and she now leads training courses at Amor Perfecto. Always with an eye to a new challenge, she is currently studying to become a certified cupper with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

“I will always be grateful for the opportunities I have received. Thank you USAID and ACDI/VOCA for supporting my dream,” Bernal said.