Remember Manyang Reath of the Humanity Helping Sudan Project? Well we caught up with him because as usual…he’s up to something!

You may know him as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” or as the founder of Humanity Helping Sudan, or even recognize him when he met superstar Beyoncé. Whilst all are true, Manyang Reath Kher has once again done something absolutely extraordinary, to bring even more awareness to the Sudanese Refugee Crisis. After founding Humanity Helping Sudan in 2010, and graduating from University of Richmond in 2015, Kher didn’t stop there.

     To intensify his efforts in seeking attention for the Sudanese refugees, including the many others who have been deprived of opportunity, Kher decided to start up his own coffee company, 734 Coffee. His thinking was since the coffee beans are grown by refugees themselves, this would bring awareness to the mass refugee problem around the globe. Having over 100,000 people ordering coffee online, Kher hoped that it would not only enforce the effort of Humanity Helping Sudan, but it would call for attention worldwide. “Nowadays, people care about where their food comes from.” What better way is there to educate and remind Americans of what is going on in the country of Sudan, than to start a business meeting the needs of the 100 million people who drink coffee on a given day?

Manyang Reath Kher (center) pictured with some supporters and colleagues

     Striving to encourage greater self-sustainability amongst the people in Sudan, Kher brings attention to the refugees by selling coffee made by the very refugee themselves, in the United States. While currently located at the RVA Wellness Café in Richmond, Virginia, Kher hopes to soon expand his sales to other businesses around the United States including Richmond’s West End Farmer’s Market. Not only does this bring attention to the refugee crisis, it also raises money to fund supplies for raising chickens, fishing nets, and crops. In addition to bringing about sustainability, Kher’s goal is to also create more jobs. With the coffee beans coming from two locations, Sudan and Ethiopia, Kher’s entire operation is set to make an impact among the refugees in South Sudan, as well as create more jobs in the region of Gambella, Ethiopia.

    Concerned about the growing refugee problem, as well as the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a plan to tackle the problem, Kher through 734 Coffee, draws attention to  the many Sudanese refugees who still continue to struggle for survival. While his biggest motivation is the mere sight of people helping one another, he will continue to make an impact among the hundreds of thousands of refugees with his revolutionizing coffee company. He is someone whose voice is being heard, and because of him people read, listen, and learn more about the refugees. Manyang Reath Kher is above all influential. “As someone who spent nearly 15 years of my childhood in a refugee camp I am driven, daily, to raise awareness and funding to call attention and to address the world refugee crisis especially in Southern Sudan and Ethiopia.” A man who was once deprived of opportunity, was later given opportunity, and since then only sought to use it to make a difference.

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