Supporting Strong Women
Published 14 Nov 2023
This year, we are excited to launch ‘Supporting Strong Women,’ a campaign to celebrate and promote the incredible work of the Rambagirakawa women’s group in Rwanda, and generate support for its members and their communities. And we’re inviting you to join!
“When I have coffee, I have a voice!”
These are the words of Odette Murakatete, founding member and leader of Rambagirakawa, a women’s association within the Dukunde Kawa cooperative in Rwanda’s Northern Province. Since forming in 2012, the all-women group has advocated tirelessly for greater autonomy, support and resources for Dukunde Kawa’s female landowners and coffee farmers.
Besides selling their coffees as selected “Women’s Coffee” lots, its members have wholeheartedly pursued additional income opportunities, like basket weaving and embroidery, to develop greater independence both economically and socially. The result is an empowered and ambitious alliance of women, whose ever-expanding activities focus on creating opportunity and success for the women and children in their community.
The goal of Supporting Strong Women is to collectively raise $15,000 by June 2024, to construct a daycare centre at Dukunde Kawa’s HQ to service the women of Rambagirakawa and the wider coffee producing community.
Besides farming and processing coffee and their weaving and embroidery work, many of the women of Rambagirakawa act as the primary caregivers to the children in their extended families who are too young to attend school. Establishing a day care centre is a long-held dream for the cooperative, as it will allow its members to focus on their work and leadership positions, without attending to the babies and toddlers. Accomplishing this goal directly impacts the women’s productivity and prosperity, while also ensuring the children are cared for in a safe, happy and nurturing environment, surrounded by their community and with their mums, aunties and grandmothers close by.
By participating in this campaign, you become part of the compelling story of these strong and resourceful women and the important role they play in the ongoing success of Rwandan specialty coffee production.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
There are lots of ways to get behind this campaign! We are inviting all our roasting customers to participate in any (or a couple) of the following ways:
• Make a one-off donation or nominate a $ per/kg donation for any Rwandan coffee/s you purchase this season
• Co-host, participate in, or donate a prize for a fundraising event in early 2024 (more info on these to come!)
• Retail and donate profits from sales of the book ‘Strong Women Behind a Strong Coffee’ which features incredible stories and photos of many of the women from Rambagirakawa.
• Raise awareness amongst your coffee community, by promoting the campaign on socials or in your shops.
HOW WE WILL SUPPORT CONTRIBUTORS
To support participating roasters, we are creating a unique identity and logo for Supporting Strong Women, and will provide the following assets to bring this campaign to life:
• A dedicated fundraising page where donations can be made directly, and the campaign’s progress is tracked.
• Stickers for bags and postcards that explain the campaign.
• Photos, a logo and digital assets that can be used for signage or social media.
• A dedicated Instagram account where we will feature contributors and celebrate campaign milestones.
If you are keen to get involved, please let us know and we can work out next steps!
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
This campaign’s name and aesthetic was inspired by the strength and resilience of the women of Rambagirakawa and the beautiful photo book ‘Strong Women Behind a Strong Coffee’ by Denyse Uwera. Through her book, Denyse gives readers a glimpse into the lives of these resourceful and inspiring women, by using stunning black and white portraits accompanied by the women’s stories – told in their own words and describing their journeys, their joy, their challenges and their perseverance. You can read more about the book here.
