This fully washed and Fair Trade certified lot comes from the Abateraninkunga ba Sholi Cooperative in the Muhanga district of the Southern Province of Rwanda. The Coop was established in 2008 by 30 women living and growing coffee in the region as a conscious effort to invigorate the local economy. "Abateraninkunga" translates to "mutual assistance" and aimed to include farmers with similar values to join. Today there are 334 producers, 42% of them women, growing coffee at altitudes of 1800-2000 masl. The Coop became Fair Trade certified in 2015 - the same year they won the Rwanda Cup of Excellence Award. At a washing station that the coop owns collectively, individuals producers bring their self-cultivated coffees to be sorted, processed, and sun-dried on raised beds, following the traditional East African fully washed process.
