Supporting Strong Women

One of the things that makes Rwanda unique among coffee-producing countries is that the majority of people growing and processing coffee there are women. This anomalous and heartening fact extends beyond this one industry – for example, nearly two-thirds of Rwanda’s parliamentary seats and 52% of cabinet positions are held by women.

We’ve been sourcing and offering coffees from Rwanda since 2009, and we’re lucky to have built meaningful connections and relationships with some extraordinary women there. Many of these women experienced unthinkable loss and trauma during the country’s 1994 genocide, and have worked tirelessly to rebuild their lives, and those of their families and communities, through their work in coffee.

In the years since we began sourcing coffees from Rwanda, some of the women we know there have created women-led producing groups – collectives of women growers and producers who share resources and support, and process and market their coffees as special, differentiated lots. Rambagirakawa is one such women’s group. Founded in 2012 in Rwanda’s North, the group is comprised of 304 women growers who are all part of the larger Dukunde Kawa cooperative.

We’ve partnered with Dukunde Kawa since we opened Market Lane, and we have worked with Rambagirakawa since its inception. In 2019, we helped the women’s group raise funds to build a community room at the co-op’s Ruli washing station. This room is a hub where the group’s members meet for crucial social support and connection, and where they weave and sell beautiful baskets, which helps them generate important income in the coffee off-season.

This year, we are joining with our sister company Melbourne Coffee Merchants and the Australian roasting community to support another fantastic Rambagirakawa initiative. Through the sales of the beautiful Strong Women Behind a Strong Coffee book, we are helping to raise money for a child day-care centre for the women of Rambagirakawa and their wider community. This centre is a long-held goal of the group. It will directly benefit the women’s productivity and prosperity, while ensuring their children are cared for in a safe, happy and nurturing environment.

If you’d like to learn more about this campaign and perhaps donate directly, you can do so here.