Ejo Heza women farmers create exceptional Rwandan specialty coffee. This is their story.
Coffee has been farmed in Rwanda for decades, and women have long shouldered most of the work. So, it made perfect sense that once the Kopakama cooperative was fully established, we should recognise and empower our women farmers properly.
In 2013, we bought a plot of land for a new all-women sub-cooperative, Ejo Heza. The land is high on the slopes above beautiful Lake Kivu in western Rwanda.
This all-women group of farmers works together to develop their own brand of specialty Arabica.
The farmers manage a communal plot of coffee trees on a little over one hectare of land, which they work on for two days a week, in addition to their own family coffee gardens. Ejo Heza brings women together to talk with, support and empower each other as a group, instead of working alone.
Ejo Heza means “bright tomorrow”. It speaks of the hope, courage and determination of Rwandan women who have been rebuilding their country since the horrific genocide in 1994.
The aim of Ejo Heza is to empower women coffee farmers in Rwanda. They train and support each other, sharing both knowledge and childcare responsibilities.
By selling their own coffee, Ejo Heza women farmers earn higher cash incomes, giving them more control over their family finances.
Members can also access loans. Some use this to further invest in their coffee production with tools, seedlings, or other products. Others establish extra sources of revenue, such as buying cows, which produce a regular supply of milk to drink and sell, and organic manure for their farms.
The incentive for our Ejo Heza women farmers is financial security for them and their families. Being able to produce high-quality specialty coffee that has an international market improves livelihoods and wellbeing.
They can pay for school fees for children, healthcare for their families, and health insurance to protect their incomes. Ejo Heza also creates jobs for more women and youth and builds stronger, safer communities.
