Democratic Republic of the Congo - Idjwi Island

Origin & Process
Idjwi Island, Lake Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Fully Washed | 1,600–1,800 MASL | Bourbon, Caturra & Catuai | Naturally Grown

The Cooperative

This coffee comes from the hands of women producers on Idjwi Island, members of Rebuild Women's Hope (RWH) — a cooperative founded in 2013 by Marcelline Budza with a simple but powerful belief: that income in the hands of women changes families and communities. RWH supports 5,000+ women each harvest season, investing in healthcare, clean water, literacy, and economic independence.

Washing Stations

RWH runs five washing stations — Hala, Boza, Chasi, Kalehe, and Kolwe — each carefully managed to bring out the best in the coffee. Chasi, Kalehe, and Kolwe use a dual dry-and-wet fermentation process before 21 days of raised-bed drying. Hala and Boza use a Penagos machine to remove most of the mucilage, finishing with a wet fermentation. Every lot is graded and sorted by hand before drying.

About the DRC

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of Africa's most exciting and underappreciated coffee origins. Around 11,000 smallholder producers — averaging just 1.5 hectares each — grow Bourbon and its derivatives across the volcanic highlands of Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu. The main harvest runs March through July, with coffee arriving fully washed in 60 kg bags.

Impact

Beyond the cup, RWH has built a maternal and pediatric hospital on Idjwi that welcomed 3,000+ births and cared for 13,000+ patients in 2021 alone. Clean water systems now serve multiple producer communities — a direct result of the cooperative's growth and the coffee you're holding.