Burundi, Kigobe

Leading the charge for this coffee is Angèle Ciza, CEO of Kahawa (“coffee” in Swahili) Company, a leader in sustainability and women's empowerment in Burundi. She believes that good coffee is achieved by using best practices in the nurseries and during picking but by also investing in additional training, environmental protection, social infrastructure, and cost-sharing reductions for their producers. For her, investing in those who grow coffee, especially women, is essential to further developing Burundi.

Her company, Kahawa Company, also known as Kalico, operates seven washing stations in northeast Burundi, specifically in the Kirundo and Muyinga provinces. Kigobe is one of the 7 washing stations that Kalico operates in Northern East area of Burundi in Kirundo province. This washing station is located around 1,700 masl and received approximately 1500-1800mm rainfall per year. In line with Kalico’s mission of women empowerment, they strive to involve women from Kigobe in coffee production and encourage them to take part in society's development. Kigobe receives coffee cherries from 602 smallholders organized within a cooperative of farmers named Tugwizikawa which means “Let’s Rise Coffee Production”. Women are the ones who take care of the coffee plantation from seed to harvest. Their place is invaluable in the society and this is the reason Kalico places such importance in their position in the coffee production chain.