RWANDA AKAGERE IKIZERE

strawberry, jolly rancher, caramel

Region: Bushekeri Sector, Nyamasheke District, Western Province
Producer: 6 female smallholders (Bernadet Nyirantakontagize, Esperence Nyirantezirembo, Jannette Mukashyaka, Beata Nyiranzabandora, Virginie Murekatete, Lea Kamungenzi)
Washing Station: Akagere
Variety: Red Bourbon
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1535 - 1900 MASL
Imported by: Semilla Coffee

About Akagere Ikizere from Semilla Coffee:

Back in 2019, Emmanuel presented to us a handful of lots that were traced back to communities living on specific hills near his washing stations. As this is quite unique for East African coffees, this initiative immediately sparked our interest and kickstarted our discussions on how we could expand and deepen this type of traceability.

As buyers, it’s always exciting to find more information about where coffee is coming from; but additionally, Emmanuel made it very clear that it was helpful to Baho and their producer network as well. By connecting more closely with producers this way, we’re able to ensure we continue to build with them into the future and this motivates these growers to work with Baho, and also inspires growers around them as they see a possibility not only for solid pay for their coffee cherries, but also for recognition and relationships not normally offered to smallholder growers. 

One of the first groups that emerged from this project was a group from Fugi Washing Station called Ikizere (confidence or trust in Kinyarwanda). This group was an idea created by Emmanuel that was centered around giving support to widowed and single mothers who are also coffee growers, as a means of showing support and recognition for their particularly trying circumstances.

As in most of the world, patriarchy continues to create barriers for women in Rwanda. Though there is a large focus on gender parity and representation with the urban sectors of the country, the struggles of widowed and single women in rural areas are acute. This group then served to give recognition for their labours as smallholders but also to bring together women with similar backgrounds so that they could connect on the basis of their shared experience and hopefully create a sense of community that assists them in their daily lives.

The Ikizere group was such a success that it has now spread to nearly every Baho Washing Station in a matter of only two years. The Akagera Ikizere group is a group of only six women that were united in this group for the 2022 harvest cycle and produced one of the most explosive, fruit forward, and floral lots of the entire year.