Reserve coffees are special because they come from remote and often rugged places, with limited harvests from lots as small as a family backyard.
Abakundakawa cooperative farmers hand-pick ripe cherries on volcanic slopes in the mountainous Gakenke district. The high elevation and rich volcanic soils produce coffee that have sweet, floral, and fruit-forward notes.
Reserve coffees are special because they come from remote and often rugged places, with limited harvests from lots as small as a family backyard. Abakundakawa cooperative farmers hand-pick ripe cherries on volcanic slopes in the mountainous Gakenke district. The high elevation and rich volcanic soils produce coffee that have sweet, floral, and fruit-forward notes.
I loved the idea of a farmer’s hand reaching for a ripe red coffee cherry. It is a labor of love that speaks to how Rwanda’s growth, infrastructure, and human healing – all things that once seemed impossible in the aftermath of the genocide – is now truly within reach. I illustrated this card using uplifting colors like ruby and pink in combination with upward brush strokes to represent Rwanda’s impressive agricultural growth thanks to co-ops like Abakundakawa.
Farmer's Story
“We who love coffee.” This is the meaning of Abakundakawa, serving as a powerful mantra driving the farmers of this co-op to make their mark in Rwanda—and the coffee world at large. With a membership that’s nearly half women—a true rarity in the coffee world—this determined group lives up to its mission in various ways. Many of the women hold leadership roles, with their exemplary management culminating in award-winning coffees. From reinvesting income into school fees and community support to moving toward more sustainable processing methods, their pioneering ways produce a gorgeous coffee and an exceptional example.