Meet Monique, 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, NYIRANGIRISHUTI (Monique) 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’M NYIRANGIRISHUTI (Monique). I got married in 2004, I have one husband with four children, and my daily employment is agriculture.

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 involves activities like weeding, mulching, and harvesting. I have been harvesting coffee for about 19 years, and I was a coffee grower before becoming a parent. My husband was also a coffee grower before marriage.

3.What motivates you each day?
What motivates me most is when the income from each harvest in on time.

4.What is the hardest part of coffee growing?
The hardest part of coffee growing is the application of organic manure. We receive a few fertilizers from the government that are not organic, and lack nutrients that can lead to soil erosion. We want to improve weeding by making compost manure.

5.What is it like to be part of Cocagi femme and how do you support each other?
What I like most about being part of Cocagi femme is that we all have hope and a willingness to win together, and we continue to improve on our families’ development.

6.What would you like to see change about the coffee industry?
I would like to see more support to the coffee industry in the form of more certifications that help us sell our coffee at a higher price with a good premium. I would also like to see more farmer training and marketing of our coffee. If these are all improved, the Rwandan coffee will be even more special.

7.What makes Rwandan coffee so special?
Rwanda is a wonderful country. I love its administrative and human rights policies, and there are different opportunities for all people. I love our culture.

8.Anything else you would like to say?
Thank you to everyone for your support. 

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

Make the change today!