Meet Jeanne, a Female Rwandan Coffee Grower

At St Remio, we want to encourage people to think about where their coffee comes from, and the impact that their purchase has on the lives of female coffee farmers at origin. To really understand coffee, we must understand the role we play within it, because our choices can either perpetuate the cycle of poverty, or break it.

In our most recent farmer interview, we spoke to a female Rwandan Coffee grower, MUTONIKAZI (Jeanne) to learn about her story and role as coffee grower.

1.Tell me about yourself. Do you have children? Are you married? What do you enjoy doing?

I have four children. Three boys and one girl. I’m married with a husband. I enjoy trading and cultivating cash crops like coffee and fruits.

2.Tell me about your role in coffee growing and what a day looks like for you. How long have you been growing coffee?

My role in coffee growing is harvesting cherries and checking their quality. I have been a grower for about 15 years, it’s my favourite kind of work.

3.What made you choose to work in coffee? Did your parents also work in coffee, and if so how long did they do it for?

I chose to work in coffee because it’s profitable and I like the appearance of the coffee cherries.

4.What motivates you each day?

What motivates me most is when the income is on time. Harvesting coffee is easy because there is weekly money from the harvest.

5.What is it like to be part of Cocagi femme and how do you support each other?

We support each other through gathering regularly, sharing a positive attitude, and wanting to win together. We also help each other’s family development.

6.What would you like to see change about the coffee industry?

I would like to see more support towards coffee growers, for example helping us sell our coffee at a higher price with a good premium, more training for farmers, and more marketing of our coffee.

7.What makes Rwandan coffee so special?

Rwanda is wonderful country. I love its administrative and human rights policies. There is security and different opportunities for everyone, especially women.

8.Anything else you would like to say?

I’m thankful to everyone that helps women in the coffee community. 

By purchasing St Remio Coffee, you are choosing to empower female coffee farmers like Jeanne. That’s the impact of your cup of coffee.

Make the change today!