Rwanda Rwamatamu

Rwamatamu’s Women's Cooperative is known as the Tuzamurane mu Guhinga Kawa cooperative, which translates from Kinyarwanda to “Let’s Uplift Each Other in Coffee Farming.” The group was started in 2020 by Mukantwaza Laeticia, co-founder of Rwamatamu, to highlight and properly reward the work of women in the local community, particularly those who had long been engaged in coffee farming.

Since starting this project, the 21 members of the Women's Cooperative have received a plot of land, coffee seedlings, alongside tools and monthly training sessions in sustainable agricultural practices, pest management, and techniques to enhance crop yields.

When harvest time comes around, the coop sells their coffee to Rwamtamu, who ensures that the money earned is distributed directly to the women in equal amounts. This money can then be invested back into the farm or used personally as the members see fit.

This coffee was processed at Rwamatamu’s Mbare washing station, situated in Muhanga, Southern Province. Once it arrives, the coffee is spread out to dry on raised beds and sorted by hand. Over the 26-33 days they take to dry, the cherries are turned and further sorted while the sugars and fruit flavours seep into the bean. The coffee then gets taken to the milling facilities in Kigali, where the coffee is dehusked, polished, and graded.

Rwanda is an astonishing country. Less than half the size of Scotland but with two and a half times the population it remains one of the poorest nations in the world, tiny and landlocked in a geopolitical region not best known for its stability. Yet Rwanda has the highest percentage of women in parliament. It is one of the most digitally advanced nations in Africa and, on a planet known for having a trash problem, the streets of Rwanda are pretty much litter free (in 2007, Rwanda became the first country in the world to legislate an outright ban on plastic bags).

The horrors of the Rwandan genocide happened over 30 years ago leaving the country decimated with “a society whose soul had been shredded… where hardly a person could be found who was not related to someone who had either killed or been killed” How a country can recover from such horrific events seems unimaginable. Rwanda will never forget the genocide, the memorials across the country a daily reminder to this fact, yet it has striven to move forward, building a new nation and shaking off the ‘ethnic’ divisions of the past - “We are all Rwandans” is the official mantra of the country. Amazingly, specialty coffee played a significant part in the nation re-building.

In the years that followed the genocide, International aid programmes invested heavily in the region. Among them were programmes investing in improving the quality of Rwandan coffee with the construction of the country’s first washing stations. The initiative was a huge success not least thanks to Rwanda’s natural resources: Fantastic rainfall, fertile soil and plenty of altitude – it’s no coincidence the tourist board’s strapline boasts Rwanda “a land of a thousand hills”.

Coffee is now one of Rwanda’s top exports bringing in US$116 million to the country in 2025. Back in 2002 only about 1% of total coffee production could be classified as speciality and there were just two washing stations in the whole country. Today there are over 300 coffee washing stations with 60% of Rwanda’s coffee production now graded as speciality.

Did you know:

• Over 95% of the coffee grown in Rwanda is the Red bourbon varietal known for its sweet flavour, refined acidity and red fruit and caramel notes.
• Farms are very small averaging fewer than 1 hectare with most producers growing coffee as a cash crop alongside subsistence staples such as beans, cassava, banana, and sweet potato.
• Ironically Rwanda is a nation of tea drinkers, however things are starting to change with the younger generation of Rwandans increasingly seeking out speciality coffee.
• There are now some amazing specialty coffee roasters and cafes in Kigali.
• On the last Saturday of the month all Rwandans between the ages of 18-65 are required to carry out community projects such as cleaning streets, building schools and planting trees in an attempt to promote social cohesion and foster a sense of community ownership. This mandatory national system is known as ‘Umuganda’ and translates from Kinyarwanda as “coming together in common purpose”.
  

Our speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We work direct with farmers, or through trusted partners, to bring you the best coffee from around the world.

Sourced through: Owmani Coffee Co.
Importer relationship length:  Since 2022