Their coffee is one of the many brands that end up on shelves and coffee mugs of Question Coffee Bar and Women’s Bakery coffee shop in Kigali.
In 2012, women in Gakenke District, northern Rwanda, started a living from growing coffee, thus breaking a long-held belief that growing and selling coffee is reserved for men. The group brewed into a profit-generating business making over Rwf80 million per month ($86,000).
“Our group has become a model for other women. Ninety per cent of our members are widows and single mothers and we have created comfortable life and sustain our families. We did not only break poverty, we are also a prominent group in society, all because of coffee,” said Odette Murekatete, 51, mother of four and founder of Rambagirakawa Group.
Ms Murekatete, along with other 289 women, have been growing coffee for over 10 years. They own 1,000 coffee trees, export over 20 tonnes of coffee per year and have able built a group office worth Rwf20 million ($20,000). The group also runs different money generatingacti vities such as weaving and selling baskets.
Their income has increased 20 times since 2012. Angelique’s Finest Rambagirakawa sells 60 per cent of their coffee to Europe, 25 per cent to the US, 15 per cent to Australia and Asia, and five per cent to the East African Community, under “Angelique’s Finest” brand.
Their coffee is one of the many brands that end up on shelves and coffee mugs of Question Coffee Bar and Women’s Bakery coffee shop in Kigali. Both are run and managed solely by women.
At Question Coffee, women are the managers, coffee makers and baristas. Men can only serve. Question — whose mission is to directly support women coffee farmers — is trying to encourage local Rwandans to drink the famous coffee they export.
The coffee makers are trained to reach international standards of making and serving coffee. The cafe offers a variety of pour-over and specialty espressos, and stock goodies like smallbatch distilled liqueurs made with their own beans.
A few minutes’ drive from Question Coffee, Kigalians linger over their morning fresh bread and strong coffee aroma at the Women’s Bakery and Café. Women here are the bakers, coffee makers and managers. It is an all-women business and social enterprise.
The business has brought together 12 women bakers, and other female employees together for the past seven years. Today, “it is more than a business but a family,” said Aurore Kamikazi, operations manager at Women’s Bakery.
Founded in 2012, their income today has increased nine times and their children eat nutritious breads, mothers drink good coffee, make good money and are more confident, open-minded and respected.
Florence Nyirakimonyo, 44, is one of the bakers at Women’s Bakery. She was a street vendor before she was trained and started baking.
Her life was “miserable and hard.” “I am now financially self-reliant and important in my community because I can confidently express my ideas and contribute to my community,” she said.
Sixteen years ago, Odire Gakire Katese founded Ingomba Nshya, new drums or new power, an all-women drumming troupe that entered drumming, culturally reserved for men. The group struggled for years for legitimacy, local recognition and most importantly, funding.
Realising that the group had to make money and sustain itself financially, ‘Inzozi Nziza’ or sweet dreams Ice Cream and Coffee Shop was born seven years ago.