Masaba Coffee was born from the initiative of a group of volunteers from Ticino in Uganda. After digging water wells and building schools for girls in the most; arid and poor areas of Uganda, beginning in 1999 the Association for Cooperation between Ticino and Uganda started a project to help a coffee cooperative.

On the slopes of Mount Elgon (a 4,321-meter-high volcano that the population calls "Masaba"), six coffee-washing stations were put back into operation. Local agronomists have been training small farmers, helping them to adopt more ecological farming methods that preserve soil fertility: mixed crops (vs. monocultures), organic fertilizer, regular pruning and hand-picking of cherries.

Jean-Claude Luvini learned about this project in 2010, during a trip to Uganda. On his return, he decided to make this coffee known in Switzerland as well.

Masaba Coffee collaborates with foundations and organizations that work on the professional reintegration of people in need (in unemployment, disability or imprisonment). A portion of the proceeds continues to be donated to the Association for Cooperation between Ticino and Uganda, earmarked for the construction of schools for girls in Karamoja, a semi-desert region in northern Uganda.