TASTE NOTES

Kungahara, Rwanda coffee tasting notes: grapefruit, raisin, brown sugar

SOURCING INFO FOR KUNGAHARA, RWANDA

This coffee hails from the Rutsiro district in western Rwanda. It was grown by the Kungahara women’s group, which is part of the Bwishaza cooperative of coffee farmers.

The Bwishaza cooperative was founded in 2010; both the cooperative and its members are relatively young. Their president, Angelique Tuyisenge, leads the group with fresh energy and new ideas. In 2017 the cooperative began working with a Korean nonprofit, Beautiful Coffee, which provided funding for infrastructure and support with quality training, natural processing, and marketing. Beautiful Coffee also helped Bwishaza establish the Kungahara women’s group.

Kungahara means “be rich” in the local language, Kinyarwanda. The group had 206 members by 2021, each tending their trees on small farms of around a half hectare each. Kungahara members also meet in sub-groups called “farmer field schools” to learn about best farming practices. 

A typical female Rwandan coffee farmer spends her morning working in the field, then spends her afternoon at the market or at home, cooking and doing other household chores. Coffee is an extremely important industry for Rwandans, and Rwandan women in particular. In the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, 65% of the surviving population are women. Today, around 14% of coffee farmers in Rwanda are widowed heads of household. Cooperatives like Bwishaza, and women’s groups like Kungahara, are vital supports for these resourceful women.

This coffee came to us from our longtime exporter partner Artisan. Blueprint pays Artisan’s “300 club” pricing, along with a women’s premium, for coffees from groups like Kungahara. Artisan transfers funds directly to the member women’s bank accounts to ensure they receive the wages. We’re proud to support the work of Artisan, along with cooperatives like Bwisaza, helping farmers to improve the quality of both their coffee and their lives.

Coffees from Rwanda are susceptible to potato defect. You can learn more about potato defect, our return policy, and our commitment to coffees from Rwanda on our blog.