Always a treat, this coffee is sweet and tea-like with clean, citrus flavours. Born in 1955 and widowed in the horrific Rwandan genocide, Marie was faced with the responsibility of caring for her five surviving children. Showing incredible courage, she began pouring her energy into coffee production, including this rare Rwandan single producer lot. We paid 98% above the Fair Trade price for this coffee - learn why here. Since meeting her this year, Rumble founder Matt has been lucky enough to spend some time with Marie. Visiting her house and hearing Marie's life story was moving to say the least. At Rumble, we regard Marie as a true force and inspiration to us all. We can’t wait for you to taste the incredible result of her passion for both life and coffee. Typically, Rwandan washing stations receive cherries from hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of farmers who own very small plots of land. Separation of such tiny lots is near impossible - and not at all practical. As a result, most lots are delineated by day of picking rather than producer or group - but not this gorgeous single producer lot! The fact that Dukunde Kawa Cooperative (of which Marie is a member) now has its own dry mill is another reason we can access this coffee. The mill allows not only the processing of smaller lots but also the assurance of quality control at all stages of production. Dukunde Kawa also has a wonderfully transparent relationship with its members, paying a fixed rate for coffee delivered to the station at the start of each harvest, plus a second payment later in the season. It provides agronomy training to producers, has helped to build a best-practice model farm and community classrooms, and offers access to fertilisers and organic pesticides, school fee assistance, and medical insurance. Incredible.
