We recently travelled from Uganda to Rwanda, and we’re returning deeply inspired, humbled, and incredibly grateful for the people we’ve had the privilege to meet across our supply chain.
We spent time with the KCRS (Cooperative Coffee Rusiga Sector) women producers group in Kinini and heard their stories; we have been proudly roasting their outstanding coffee since 2022.
From Kigali, we travelled through Rwanda’s breathtaking rolling hills to Kinini Village in the Northern Province, where the amazing work of Jacquie Turner has helped transform an entire community.
Beginning in 2012 with 663 farmers, the project’s first harvests came in 2016, with a vision rooted in empowerment, dignity, and opportunity, supporting widows and orphans affected by the 1994 genocide, while helping women take control of their futures, finances, and their families.
We were warmly welcomed to the washing station by Pheneas and John. Together with Erinestine, they hosted us for a tour and cupping before introducing us to KCRS leaders and members. We shared coffee and conversation - a moment of connection we’ll remember for a long time.
Listening to what Kinini means to the community was extremely moving. For them, it means independence, confidence, and hope. Empowering the members to learn, to buy land, to buy cows, and to balance their domestic life with meaningful work. Plus, they now don’t have to ask a man for anything!
The cooperative covers 252 hectares of coffee-growing land at incredible altitudes of 1800 - 2500 meters above sea level. At inception, KCRS distributed 500,000 seedlings to smallholder farmers, free of charge. Favouring Bourbon Mayaguez (BM!£(, BM71) and Bourbon Jackson Coffea Arabica varieties.
Revenue from the sales of coffee is directly reinvested in the local community and has funded local infrastructure like roads, schools and cherry collection points.
We were lucky enough to visiteSepharine’s farm, meet her neighbours and her husband, Xavier, before travelling higher into the mountains to visit a collection station and KCRS member Amna’s impressive farm at over 2,000 MASL with 1,800 coffee trees. The dedication, resilience, and pride we witnessed throughout the day left a lasting impression and was extremely humbling.
We’re so grateful to Jacquie, Jack, DR Wakefield, and Christian for facilitating the visit. We’d also like to thank everyone who welcomed us so openly and shared their time, experiences, and stories so generously. It was a powerful reminder of the people, partnerships, and purpose behind every cup.
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