We have been partnering with the Rwanda Rambagirakawa co-op since 2021, and we could not be more thrilled for this year's offering! Started in 2012, Rambagirakawa is a women-run cooperative located in Gakenke in the Northern Province of Rwanda. With its 200 female members, Rambagirakawa is a subgroup of the larger Dukundekawa cooperative, which has approximately 1,400 members. Meaning “women owning and growing coffee trees professionally” in the Kinyarwanda language, Rambagirakawa was formed to instill greater gender equity within Dukundekawa. The members are provided with farmer training and educational resources so they are able to produce consistent, high-quality products. The members are trained how to properly harvest and carefully sort perfectly ripe coffee cherries before delivering them to the washing station for processing. Members are also provided quality control tools, such as an on-site cupping lab, where a trained cupper can evaluate the quality of a producer’s coffee, and therefore help to determine its potential value. Providing ongoing educational and entrepreneurial support is a primary focus of Rambagirakawa. During the off-season, cooperative members combat unemployment and receive additional income by creating and selling traditional Agaseke baskets. In 2019, the women of Rambagirakawa started the Days for Girls project, which provides feminine hygiene supplies to young women in the surrounding community. This project aligns with the cooperative’s ongoing mission of supporting the well-being of women within the community so that they have the skills and resources to be successful and to thrive. We are proud to once again offer this coffee and highlight its extraordinary work. Enjoy!
