Isimbi Women’s Group FW

Isimbi is part of our Sucafina Originals range, our line of consistent and affordable blends directly sourced from our vertically-integrated supply chain.

Our Isimbi blend is inspired by its namesake, the Kinyarwanda word for the white at the top of a volcano that’s also used to refer to something pure. This clean and consistent blend is selected by our QC team in Rwanda. Vertical integration and whole harvest sourcing means that you can count on equitable prices for producers, all while getting a solid 84+ cup perfect for blends, filter or espresso at an accessible price for roasters.

Despite its turbulent history, today Rwanda is one of the specialty coffee world’s darlings – for good reason! Our sister company in Rwanda does an amazing job of bringing the best that Rwanda has to offer to roasters around the world.

Premiums from this lot support approximately 100 women from four women’s cooperatives: Ituze, Tuvemubukene, Turwamyebunebwe and Ngororero. Women’s group frequently use income generating activities like sewing, basket making and microfinancing to support women members. Most members are also coffee farmers. The members will determine the best way to use these contributions. Read more about each individual group below.

Cherry is selectively handpicked to remove any damaged or underripe cherries. Washing stations only accept perfectly ripe cherry, so farmers take more care when they pick to ensure the maximum amount of cherry is accepted.

Cherries are floated to remove those with insect damage or otherwise low density. The cherry is pulped and then wet fermented for 24 hours to remove the remaining mucilage. After fermentation is complete, the parchment is sent through grading canals to separate into three levels of density (A1, A2 & A3). Finally, the parchment is soaked for around 20 hours to improve quality and shelf life and to remove any remaining mucilage. 

After washing, the parchment is removed from the water and is delivered to pre-drying tables to be sorted by hand. Defects are often easier to catch when the parchment is still wet. After this process, the parchment is laid on tables to sun-dry where it is also consistently sorted to remove any remaining defects. The parchment is then bagged up and sent to RWACOF (Sucafina in Rwanda) and milled in their mill.

Tuvemubukene means “to get out of poverty” in Kinyarwanda and the 30 women who founded the group are dedicated to advancing their opportunities and increasing their family incomes. Cooperative members are coffee farmers who found that the revenue from coffee wasn’t stable enough to support themselves and their families. In order to diversify and increase their incomes, they joined forces to provide training for members and to begin basket weaving and tailoring as additional sources of income. The group also has a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which helps members save their money and apply for fair loans to meet their needs.

Founded in 2008, Ituze Women’s Group was founded by 18 women who were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS after experiencing isolation and stigmatization by their peers. The group provides support and friendship for members and the women have joined forces to generate income as well. The members cultivate coffee and pineapple and manufacture soap.

Turwanyubunebwe means “to fight laziness” in Kinyarwanda. There at 15 members who farm the group’s 1.5-hectare coffee plantation in Ngoma. Founded in 2001, the initial purpose of the group was to help members implement Good Agricultural Practices and improve coffee quality on their farm. It has since expanded to include a VSLA. Members also raise goats for milk.

Ngororero Women’s Group fosters female empowerment among its 40 members through education on Good Agricultural Practices, leadership and more. The group maintains a 0.9-hectare practice plot where they began cultivating coffee in 2019. The practice plot serves as an example for members and enables them to practice and observe new practices before implementing them on their own farms.

In concert with our sustainability partner, Kahawatu Foundation, RWACOF invests heavily in yield improvements, farmer training, quality improvement projects, environmental sustainability and other ways to increase farmer livelihoods.

RWACOF’s Farmer Development Program in partnership with the London School of Economics (LSE) supports farmers with training in Good Agricultural Practices and access to loans, farm inputs and farm services. A new soil health initiative uses soil analysis data that RWACOF collected to identify farms where soil is too acidic. Lime, along with education about application, is distributed to these farmers to help improve soil quality. Additionally, seedling nurseries provide up to 4 million seedlings per year to help farmers renovate their rootstock.

RWACOF also has many projects that are designed to support farmers’ overall livelihoods. They focus on gender equality and support several women’s cooperatives by helping them access land, seedlings and reach a market for their coffees. They offer trainings on financial literacy and alternative income-generating activities.

On the environmental side, RWACOF has worked with partners to help install solar panels at 2 washing stations that are off the electrical grid. RWACOF’s dry mill already have a 50 kilowatt-per-hour solar panel set up on their roof. They’ve also mapped carbon emissions in their coffee supply chain and are starting projects to half their emissions per kg of coffee. Two ways they’re accomplishing this is by facilitating a transition from inorganic to organic fertilizer and further improve waste (water and pulp) management at the wet mills. They’re also working with Trade in Space to map deforestation in the supply chain so that they can begin to work with farmers to reduce deforestation and improve forested areas in the supply chain.

Above all, RWACOF's exceptional attention to detail during post-harvest activities ensures the best quality coffee possible. From the moment cherry enters the washing station until it is milled and bagged for export, RWACOF keeps stringent quality controls in place. They know, as we do, that high-quality coffee is crucial for delivering benefit all along the supply chain.