Abakundakawa Rushashi Cooperative is the cornerstone of our importer This Side Up's work in Rwanda’s lush Gakenke district from their beginnings in 2013. Their partnership with Rushashi, led by the inspiring manager Antoine Kagenza, has driven industry-wide conversations about quality and fair pricing. This specific lot comes from the Ishema Youth Coffee Group, a remarkable initiative focused on securing the future of coffee farming in the region. Expect a beautifully complex and clean cup.
 
Social Kontext
 
Abakundakawa Rushashi is a model for rural development and peacebuilding. The cooperative, founded in 1999, has grown into a strong, well-organized operation with over 2,100 member farmers across 17 villages. Crucially, it manages two powerful empowerment organizations:
 
Women's Empowerment: Following the tragedy of the genocide, the cooperative fostered reconciliation by creating two women's groups, Duhingekawa and Abanyameraka. This has since led to women gaining greater ownership of coffee trees and improving their financial position within traditional households.
Youth Empowerment: Recognizing that 80% of coffee growers were elderly, the Ishema Youth Coffee Group was formed in 2015 to secure succession on the farm level and give young people a perpective and a future in coffee. This group has grown to nearly 500 young farmers, including 289 young women, ensuring the next generation is trained in finance, administration, and sustainable practices.
 
Economic Kontext
 
Abakundakawa has successfully transformed the specialty market into a "seller's market" by prioritizing quality and transparency. Through its strong partnership with our importer, the cooperative has invested in the long-term financial stability of its members.
A key focus has been eliminating reliance on high-interest rural bank loans (up to 20%). Profits from our premiums are used to pay back long-term loans and build a large savings buffer. This strategy is critical, as it ensures that money typically lost to interest is instead returned directly to the cooperative and its member farmers, securing the cooperative's financial independence.
 
Environmental Kontext
 
Rushashi has pioneered sustainable and resource-saving practices in Rwanda. Manager Antoine Kagenza implemented advanced processing techniques, including water and energy-saving triple fermentation methods and advanced pulp recycling.
 
In recent years, the cooperative has also focused on agroforestry. Since 2017, the coop has invested in a shade tree nursery and is running agroforestry trials near the washing station. The long-term aim is to create fully reforested plots where soil and water management, pest control, and fertilization are handled entirely by natural processes, securing the environmental future of their coffee production.