Congo Coffee Atlas

Cooperative — South Kivu

Rebuild Women's Hope coffee origin trail

Rebuild Women's Hope (RWH) is a coffee cooperative on Idjwi Island, South Kivu, founded in 2013 by Marcelline Budza. Its own site describes washing stations at Boza (2016, donation from Strauss Coffee) and Hala (2017, loan from Coffeelac).

Documented trail

  1. 1

    Region

    South Kivu — Idjwi Island 51

  2. 2

    Producer

    Rebuild Women's Hope 51

  3. 3

    Exporter / trader

    Coffeelac (loan financed the Hala washing station, 2017); Falcon Coffees (Coffeelac is Falcon's DRC export partner) 515253

  4. 4

    Destination

    Lake Kivu Coffee Alliance relationship with Higher Grounds Trading Co. (Traverse City, MI, USA) and the Polus Center — documented from 2018, not confirmed as Higher Grounds' current exclusive retail destination (Higher Grounds' publicly sold, still-on-shelf lot is Muungano-origin instead); publicly sold today via Oxfam Fair Trade (Belgium) and Volcano Coffee Works (UK, blend) 434459646566

Certifications: None currently claimed — RWH describes Fairtrade and Organic as targets for a later harvest

Sources disagree

Membership is reported two ways: Polus Center's 2018 Lake Kivu Coffee Alliance report describes about 2,100 members; Rebuild Women's Hope's own site later lists 3,057 members (2,232 women, 825 men). We show both. 4351

Frequently asked

What is Rebuild Women's Hope?›

An Idjwi Island cooperative founded by Marcelline Budza in 2013. Its site says women are at the center of decision-making, and that the coop later opened membership toward equal representation of women and men. 51

Who is on the export and roasting side?›

RWH's site names a Coffeelac loan for the Hala station (2017). The registry lists Falcon Coffees as Coffeelac's DRC export partner. Higher Grounds Trading Co. appears with Polus Center through the Lake Kivu Coffee Alliance. 5152534344

Where is this coffee sold publicly?›

Oxfam Fair Trade (Belgium) lists Organic Women's Hope beans sourced from Rebuild Women's Hope. Volcano Coffee Works (UK) sells Rise Up Blend as Brazil plus RWH-origin coffee — not a 100% DRC lot. Check each seller's page for current stock. 646566

How many members does Rebuild Women's Hope have?›

Reported two ways: the Polus Center's 2018 Lake Kivu Coffee Alliance report describes about 2,100 members; Rebuild Women's Hope's own site later lists 3,057 members (2,232 women, 825 men). We show both rather than pick one. 4351

Related on this registry

  • Coffeelac — Coffeelac's 2017 loan financed the Hala washing station used by Rebuild Women's Hope; Falcon Coffees names Coffeelac as its DRC export partner for that relationship. 515253

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Sources on this page

  1. 43Lake Kivu Coffee Alliance — Polus Center for Social & Economic Development
  2. 44Lake Kivu Coffee Alliance: A Public-Private Partnership — Darden Ideas to Action (University of Virginia)
  3. 51Our Story — Rebuild Women's Hope
  4. 52DR Congo — Rebuild Women's Hope Project — CoffeeMango
  5. 53DRC Women's Hope & Unity — SHIFT Social Impact Solutions
  6. 59DR Congo Muungano — Higher Grounds Trading
  7. 64Organic Women's Hope coffee beans — Oxfam Fair Trade
  8. 65Rise Up Blend — Volcano Coffee Works
  9. 66Rise Up Coffee: Turning Everyday Workplace Rituals into Global Impact — Comunicaffe