Congo - Women Coffee Producers

Tasting Notes: Slighty fruity, dark chocolate, medium bodied with bright acidity.

Country: The Democratic Republic of Congo

Region: North Kivu

Farm: Vughole Women's Group

Certification at Origin: Organic and Fair-Trade

Variety:Heirloom Varietals, Rumangabo

Altitude: 1,480 - 2,000 meters above sea level

Processing: Fully washed and sun-dried

Background from our importer: 

Mapendo is swahili for “love”. Many of the women that produced Mapendo are widows as a result of the conflicts that have destabilized parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Gender justice is one of their key pillars and they’ve worked with organizations such as OXFAM to implement Gender Action Learning Systems. These systems comprise role playing and visual tools to help farmers plan their lives and sustainable livelihoods. 

One of the farmers is 

Fikiri Charlotte’s seen here in the picture. Her life has been positively impacted by growing coffee; it’s allowed her to build a house and buy another field where she’s planted coffee trees. With the manure produced by goats, she’s able to strengthen the ecosystem of her farm through the fertilization of the fields.