MBilima

HISTORY

Mbilima Women’s Coffee comes from a cooperative of 130 women smallholder farmers in the Gakenke district of Rwanda. In addition to working on improving and controlling coffee quality, the cooperative runs several programs aimed at improving its members’ living conditions.

These include funding school fees and health insurance, as well as training programs in quality and productivity. The cooperative also rewards the highest-quality coffee with cows, which, besides providing milk and extra income, supply manure for the crops. To make it easier to deliver freshly picked coffee to the washing stations, the cooperative has also invested in adapted bicycles for smallholder farmers.

The premiums generated by this coffee, produced entirely by women, are reinvested in initiatives that directly support the women producers. Part of these resources goes to projects such as handicrafts, micro-savings programs and small livestock farming, creating new sources of income for families and opportunities to build a more sustainable future.

PROCESS

The cherries are processed using the washed method, a process that aims to preserve the cleanliness and clarity of the cup. The cooperative pays special attention to delivering freshly picked coffee to the washing stations, helping to maintain quality from the moment of harvest.