Shining a light on the women producers of Rwanda
Every March, we celebrate a new crop of Rwandan coffees from women’s co-operatives across the region. They’ve long held a special place in our programme, reflecting relationships built over many years with producers whose craft and communities we deeply admire.
The team took a moment to reflect on the projects we’ve supported over time, and the ways these coffees can create lasting value for the people behind them.
Supporting Strong Women
In 2024, we joined the Supporting Strong Women campaign led by Melbourne Coffee Merchants, highlighting producers from Rambagirakawa in Northern Rwanda. We featured Victoria Mukamerenzi’s stunning coffee, a standout lot from one of the few women-led producers in the co-op.
The campaign brought together a series of events and tastings, with contributions helping support the creation of a childcare centre for families within the coffee community. In the year since, Rambagirakawa marked the first anniversary of this community hub — an initiative that continues to support both family life and coffee production in the region.
Empowered Women, Exceptional Coffee
In 2025, we partnered with a coffee from the Sovu Women’s Group for our Empowered Women, Exceptional Coffee campaign. Featuring Imigongo artwork by Denyse Uwera and stories from three of the producers, it was a chance to share the dedication behind each cup.
Through this release, contributions supported training in soap-making for women in the co-op, helping to create additional income streams for the community.
This Year
This year’s release from Sovu Women’s Group continued that story. It was produced using cherries grown by 103 women farmers, each cultivating their own plots on the hills surrounding the Sovu washing station. It was a collective effort to bring this coffee to drinkers in Australia and New Zealand.
These women are members of the Abizerwa Women’s Group, a women-led alliance within the Abahuzamugambi Ba Kawa Maraba Cooperative(known as“Maraba”), one of Rwanda’s most respected coffee associations.
In Kinyarwanda, Abizerwa means“trusted people” - a fitting name for a group built on shared support, knowledge, and community.
It’s a coffee we’re incredibly proud to have shared as part of our annual commitment to this seasonal crop from Rwanda.
