RWANDA – The power of rebirth

From what I saw, the country was clean and tidy, welcoming and hospitable. Coffee harvesting businesses are still a bit behind the times, trying to adopt the most advanced modern production methods, but are still in the research phase. For this reason, various cooperatives led by women have also cropped up with the goal of expanding the industry. For example, I met Maggie Kagimbayi from a company called SACOF, in the Gisenyi quarter of Karambi Village. Courageous women like Maggie are seeking to lead companies thanks in part to the support of the IWCA (International Women’s Coffee Alliance), which promotes the growth of farming projects by providing insurance coverage to workers and offering educational opportunities to their children. The aim is to promote Rwandan coffee in international markets and to sell it at the right price point.

The Rwandan people are incredibly strong, which I realised after visiting the Genocide Museum in Kigali. It was truly moving and difficult to see the atrocities of the genocide, even 20 years after the fact. However, it also offered insight into how Rwanda has managed to rebuild after the devastating massacres it endured.