Story
Rwanda and Burundi have long been two of the countries we are proudest to represent. Though they are, of course, deeply distinct from one another, they have shared similarly soft spots in our collective core since we had the opportunity to visit both countries in 2019. This experience imbued us with a uniquely keen perspective on the complex smallholder structures found on the farming level in each country, and an eagerness to deepen our understanding of the many differences elsewhere in each supply chain. This is certainly an ever-evolving journey, but we believe we have found a very solid and sustainable partnership for coffees from Rwanda by way of Rwanda’s Baho and Montreal’s Semilla, and this women-produced micro-lot is a fantastic example of the power and potential these supply chains possess. Muzo is one of several community washing stations owned by Baho, an exporter and mill-operator founded by Rwandese coffee-sector veteran Emmanuel Rusatira. “Ikizere,” which means “confidence” or “trust” in Kinyarwanda, denotes that this is one of Baho’s traceable women-produced micro-lots. This year’s Muzo Ikizere selection comes from ten women, all of whom are widows or single mothers. Earning premiums roughly 50% over Rwanda’s national farmgate baseline (one of many eccentricities to this country’s regulations), the Ikizere offerings are Baho and Semilla’s highest-paid lots of the year, and Baho drives the impact further by reinvesting premiums toward funding the womens’ health care as well. The names of the women who produced this coffee are Bibiane Mukambuguje, Regine Nyirabahinde, Triphine Akimanimpaye, Costasie Mukamana, Louise M Mukanoheri, Verena Mukagatera, Marguarte Uwimana, Puriquerie Ingabire, Donatha Nyirankurikiyinka, and Vestine Nyiramajyambere. Dry and honey processing techniques remain somewhat new to the specialty sector in Rwanda, but we have been consistently impressed with the dry-process lots like this one when sourced through Baho. The process is meticulously managed, and the ten women who contributed their cherries to this lot depulped their coffees together, by hand. Altogether, over a process of 50 - 55 days, the coffee slowly and surely reaches a target moisture content that ensures it will travel and age quite nicely, yielding vibrant fruit and heavy sweetness. In the cup, we taste apricot, red grape and magnolia.
