Akagera Coffee Project

The story behind Akagera Coffee Project

Akagera Coffee Project, located in the Kayonza District of the Eastern Province, was founded by Egid Murindababisha in 2016. Working with the Rusave Farmer’s Coffee Coop (RFCC), they seek to create positive impacts on the local communities through youth and women employment, higher contributions to farmer incomes, and social and economic sustainability projects. They work with their members to teach them integrated farming techniques, tailoring, weaving, fish farming, and they provide a preschool for all full-time employees of ACP.

Akagera’s coffee is grown at 1,700 meters above sea level and is comprised entirely of red bourbon. They have two harvests, their main harvest between March and June and a fly harvest from September to November. Farms in this area tend to be very small, with only 1-2 hectares each, so harvesting tends to be a family activity. Once they have picked the coffee, the farmers sell the ripe red cherries at Akagera’s new Kayonza Washing Station. The coffee is then washed and dried on raised beds, as is the norm in Rwanda and throughout East Africa.