| Producer | Ngamba Ituze Women’s Cooperative |
| Varietal | Red Bourbon |
| Process | Washed |
| Origin | Ngamba, Rwanda |
| Altitude | 1600 MASL |
| Farm | Ngamba Ituze Women’s Cooperative |
This coffee has been specifically selected for Stroud and the people of Stroud who support all the amazing local independent businesses of Stroud.
The colours are drawn from the Stroud coat of arms. The green is for the water that drew all the weavers to the area and the red represents the Stroud scarlet that Stroud became famous for and the red cloths which were left to dry on the hills, also red is Las Fresas; the name of the farm that this coffee from, named due to the wild strawberries growing nearby in this region.
This coffee is a stunner! Designed to be a single origin espresso, so goes perfectly as a part of a milky brew, but also tastes grand as a black coffee. Sustainably sourced from Ngamba Ituze Women’s Cooperative in Ngamba, Rwanda
This absolutely stunning coffee is incredible in flavour, project and determination. Grown by women. The Ituze Womens co-operative was started by 18 women in who in 2008, were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and came together to form the co-operative. They were facing many challenges, but they were determined to create a better future for themselves and their families.
In Kinyarwanda, “ituze” means “calmness”, which is the effect the women wanted their cooperative to have. The cooperative also set out to generate additional income. They began by farming coffee and pineapples, and they soon realized that they had a knack for business. They were able to increase their yields and improve the quality of their products.
In 2018, the cooperative received a grant from the Kahawatu Foundation to purchase seedlings, shade trees and manure, which further boosted their productivity. They also received training in soap manufacturing, which has become a profitable new venture. Today, the Ituze Women’s Cooperative is a thriving business. They have over 20 members, and their products are sold locally and in the capital city of Kigali.
Ituze Women’s Cooperative is a shining example of what can be accomplished when women come together to support each other. They have overcome many challenges, but they have never given up on their dreams and work together to improve their livelihoods and prospects.