It’s Time to Plan for Rwanda!

Published 04 June 2024

On June 10th, we are heading back to Rwanda! While in the country, Aislinn and Beau will be catching up with our dear friends at Buf Coffee and the Maraba and Dukunde Kawa Cooperatives, and spending meaningful time with the Rambagirakawa women’s group, officially handing over the funds raised through the Supporting Strong Women campaign. 

During the trip, they’ll also cup and select coffees from the current harvest, which will land in Australia later this year. Before Aislinn and Beau head off, we want to hear from you to help us build our buying brief and accurately plan for the 2024/25 season!

Every time we visit Rwanda, we are moved and inspired by the warmth and generosity of its people and their pioneering approach to coffee production. We feel passionate about celebrating coffee from this beautiful country, and sharing the stories of those that produced them with our roasting community here at home. 

With Beau and Aislinn heading out soon, now is the perfect time to let us know what you are interested in for your Rwandan line up. Whilst in Kigali, the team will cup and select this season’s offerings with our long-time exporting partner, RWASHOSCCO, who connects us to producers Dukunde Kawa and Maraba Cooperatives, as well as Buf Coffee. We can’t wait to taste through the season — we’ll be looking for clean washed lots, with a refined acidity, tropical fruit sweetness and complex florals that we love and hope you’ll love too!

Whether you would like to feature a lot from a particular producer whose coffees you have featured in the past, or to brief us in on your preferred flavour profile, regional characteristics or intended volumes — communicating your requirements ahead of purchasing helps us to accurately gauge demand for the year and is the best way to secure the coffees you love!

What we’re most looking forward to during the trip, is spending time with the Rambagirakawa group, connecting with the women and checking on the progress of the day care centre. Having sent a first round of donations in mid-April, we’re hoping to see construction underway, and learn more about Dukunde Kawa’s plans for the set up and operation of the centre. 

While we had initially pledged $15,000 AUD to the project — hoping to cover half of the costs of the building — with the generous and enthusiastic support of Australia’s coffee community, we are currently sitting at a whopping $28,500, with more to come as contributors finalise and make their donations. This incredible effort will help to fund the majority of the day care’s construction, meaning Dukunde Kawa can focus more of their resources to the day-to-day operations, once the day care has opened.

With the trip less than a week away, we’re looking to wrap up the fundraising aspect of the campaign by tomorrow, June 5th — ensuring we have enough time to collate and transfer the funds to Rambagirakawa, ahead of visiting the women in person. If you have not yet made your donation, this is a friendly request to head to the GoFundMe page and contribute what you’ve raised by this date. Thank you! 

We’re looking forward to a busy, fun-filled and educational trip, with loads of great coffees to taste! Stay tuned on our movements via our Insta stories later this month, or get in touch now to make a request or head here to learn more about our Rwandan sourcing. We’re here to help.