Roots Africa
Roots Africa is a nonprofit that trains young agribusiness graduates as changemakers. They work with smallholder farming families in Uganda, Liberia, Cameroon. Cedric Nwafor, co-owner of 96 Royal, founded it and leads it as a volunteer. The cafe and the nonprofit are separate organizations with the same family behind them.
What it does
A changemaker is a young graduate in agriculture or business who goes home to work alongside farming families. They help farmers grow more, waste less, and sell for a fair price. The goal is a farm that pays.
By the numbers
changemakers trained, as of May 2026
farming families reached, as of May 2026
Figures from Roots Africa. Current numbers are at rootsafrica.org.
How the cafe connects today
The cafe's name comes from the same belief. The people who grow our food deserve to be treated like royalty. Our drip coffee is Ugandan. The espresso bar uses Ugandan beans among other origins. Uganda is where Roots Africa does most of its work.
What the cafe does not do yet is buy coffee directly from the farming communities Roots Africa works with. That is the plan, and it is coming soon. Until it is in the cup, we will not say it is.
Cedric's work at Roots Africa is volunteer work. It is not his job, and the cafe does not fund the nonprofit.
Direct-trade coffee from the communities Roots Africa trains. When it lands, the grower's name goes on our board and the news goes to our email list first. Sign up on the home page.
Questions people ask
What is Roots Africa?
Roots Africa is a nonprofit that trains young agribusiness graduates as changemakers. They work with smallholder farming families in Uganda, Liberia, and Cameroon to raise farm income.
How is 96 Royal connected to Roots Africa?
The same family founded both. Cedric Nwafor founded Roots Africa and leads it as a volunteer. The cafe and the nonprofit are separate organizations.
Does 96 Royal serve coffee from Roots Africa farmers?
Not yet. Direct-trade coffee from those farming communities is coming soon. Today our drip coffee is Ugandan, and our espresso uses Ugandan beans among other origins.
How can I support Roots Africa?
Visit rootsafrica.org to learn about the work and how to give.
Learn more or give
Everything about the work, the team, and how to support it is on the Roots Africa site.
rootsafrica.orgOr just come for a crepe
96 W Washington St, downtown Hagerstown. Mon to Sat, 7 AM to 4 PM.
Hours and directions