How a Coffee Bean Gets into Your Cup

from Liz Uible

On Monday I visited the other micro-lending facility we are working with in Rwanda. They are just rolling out a micro-lending program for the women coffee farmers who want to make money in the off season.

Evidently in some places, like Congo, coffee grows all year long and has several harvests. In Rwanda, there is only one harvest due to less rainfall. To compensate, Rwanda generally produces a higher value bean… the kind in Starbucks rather than Folgers.

In the off season, things like school fees are due and the children want to eat. So the cooperative is encouraging women to start cottage-industry businesses- crafts, sewing, etc.

The WomenforWealth.com Foundation granted some seed money to start their program and they are now putting together the training to make sure the loans are used appropriately (see post from yesterday).






(above- demonstrating the foot peddle sewing machine at the electric-free washing station)

Since we have spent so much time with the women leaders of Rwanda and also with successful entrepreneurs this trip, I am even more clear how important micro-lending can be. It gets down to what locals call “grass roots people.” The really poor who are smart, but have no hand up in the world. I will connect the COOPAC co-op people with the organizations we know who are doing micro-lending training so that they have a baseline to begin from.

While I was visiting Coopac, I was reminded how amazing a cup of coffee is.

Who thought to take this berry,

sort the bad out,





pull off the pulp,




wash it,





wash it again,







dry it,







sort it again,




pull off the hull, roast it and then grind the pit into little bits and pour hot water on top?????

How does one happen upon such an idea, anyway?
That is a lot of steps to get your java and is mostly done by hand at the washing station.

And then, to celebrate and impress visitors, the COOPAC dance troop dances. And the singers sing.

You can see some of it live from when another group went (they are very proud to be on Youtube.)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VKHl5C6bzkw