{"product_id":"democratic-republic-of-the-congo-idjwi-island","title":"Democratic Republic of the Congo - Idjwi Island","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower\u003c\/strong\u003e:  Idjwi Island with Rebuild Women's Hope (RWH)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcess\u003c\/strong\u003e:  Fully Washed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariety\u003c\/strong\u003e:  Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElevation\u003c\/strong\u003e:  1600-1800 MASL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegion\u003c\/strong\u003e:  Lake Kivu\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\u003c\/strong\u003e:  Democratic Republic of the Congo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCertifications\u003c\/strong\u003e:  Naturally Grown \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWomen's Coffee Project\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough RWH, women producers on the island of Idjwi, located on Lake Kivu, are provided with support and recognition for their role in coffee production. Its mission is to give women back their voice by placing them at the center of all integral development, in particular, economic empowerment and autonomy. RWH believes that income controlled by women has a significant impact on the life of the family as well as the development and well-being of the community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIdjwi Island\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThis offering comes from the women coffee producers of Idjwi Island who are members of the cooperative Rebuild Women's Hope (RWH). RWH was founded in 2013 by Marcelline Budza with the goals of fighting the inequalities that women in agriculture face and supporting the health and empowerment of women and girls. The coop helps women take charge of their lives through entrepreneurship and self-reliance. It's the group's mission\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e“to give women back their voice by placing them at the center of all integral development, in particular, economic empowerment and autonomy. We believe that income controlled by women has a significant impact on the life of the family, including the development and well-being of the community.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWomen have faced significant challenges both in their communities and in the coffee industry in the DRC. There is a general culture of socio-economic discrimination against women, and they often were refused the right to income from coffee as it was considered a man's crop. Women were also denied access to land and land inheritance. In their communities, challenges include the underdevelopment of villages, lack of drinking water, lack of access to quality healthcare, and high illiteracy rates among women and the elderly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe island of Idjwi is located in the middle of Lake Kivu along the border of Rwanda. Coffee has long been the island's main source of income, but producers there have consistently struggled to sell their coffee. The creation of cooperatives like RWH has completely changed the situation and opened the door to new opportunities for producers on Idjwi and the DRC, especially for women.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWashing Stations\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eRWH manages five washing stations: Hala, Boza, Chasi, Kalehe, and Kolwe. Chasi, Kalehe, and Kolwe are unique from Hala and Boza. This is due to the way the coffee is processed. To pulp the coffee at Chasi, Kalehe, and Kolwe, they use a Mackinon machine, which doesn't remove the mucilage at all. Then they do two fermentations, which are dry fermentation and wet fermentation, to remove the mucilage. From there, the coffee is washed, graded, and sorted on the pre-drying bed. At the end of the day, the coffee is transported to the drying bed where it is dried for 21 days, respecting the volume of coffee on the drying bed, the stirring time, and the humidity. At Boza and Hala, they use the Penagos machine, which removes 80 percent of the mucilage, and they only carry out wet fermentation to remove the remaining 20 percent of mucilage. The soil structure at Chasi, Kalehe, and Kolwe differs from that at Boza and Hala, and these sites have young coffee plantlets that have been regenerated over the last three years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eImpact of RWH\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eConstruction of New Washing Stations: \u003c\/b\u003eRWH has built five new washing stations since its creation, including Hala, Boza, Chasi, Kalehe, and Kolwe. The coop employs more than 5,000 women workers during the coffee-growing season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eCoffee Processing: \u003c\/b\u003eAt Bukavu, the coop prepares coffee from processing, removes parchment, and stores coffee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e3. Agronomic Support\u003c\/b\u003e: An agronomic program is being developed by RWH. It aims to promote sustainable agriculture through the principles of agroecology, increasing the yields of small-scale producers and safeguarding the environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cb\u003eEconomic Development: \u003c\/b\u003eRWH supports sustainable development and teaches women how to make money to foster independence and fight socio-economic discrimination. The coop educates producers' households on the GALS system (Gender Action Learning System). RWH also focuses on teaching women new skills to continue to improve their socio-economic situation and fight poverty during the lean season. Women receive training in literacy, sewing, baking, knitting, and more, as well as managing their activities through business skills training.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eHealth: \u003c\/b\u003eRWH has constructed a maternal and pediatric hospital in the south of Idjwi. In 2021 alone, the hospital facilitated the birth of more than3000 children, treated 8000 outpatients, and treated 5000 patients suffering from various diseases (malaria, infection, etc.). The coop aims to increase the hospital's capacity by building an operating theater to make services more accessible. They also partner with Coffee Circle to promote gender equity in health. This work includes trainings for medical staff on sexual and reproductive rights, awareness-raising campaigns for youth and women's groups or networks, and meetings for men and boys on gender equality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eWater and Sanitation: \u003c\/b\u003eThe coop has carried out water supply work in various villages to combat water-borne diseases and provide local communities with accessible water. Between 2015 and 2020, RWH completed three water supply systems and seven community water points that provide drinking water to producers' communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"\u003eMore About DRC\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOUNTRY PROFILE \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSize - 2,344,858 sq km\u003cbr\u003eCapital City - Kinshasa\u003cbr\u003eMain Port Cities - Landlocked country\u003cbr\u003ePopulation - 116,000,000 (estimated July 2026)\u003cbr\u003eLanguage\/s Spoken - French, Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili, Tshiluba\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCER PROFILE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePopulation Involved in Coffee - approx. 11,000\u003cbr\u003eAverage Farm Size - 1.5 hectares\u003cbr\u003eBags Exported Annually - 123,000 bags \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOFFEE PROFILE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGrowing Regions - Ituri, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu\u003cbr\u003eCommon Varieties - Bourbon, Bourbon Mayaguez, other Bourbon derivatives\u003cbr\u003eProcessing Method\/s - Washed\u003cbr\u003eBag Size - 60 kg\u003cbr\u003eHarvest Period - March–July (main); September–January (fly)\u003cbr\u003eTypical Arrival - October–December\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fig Leaf Coffee Company","offers":[{"title":"16 oz. \/ Whole Bean","offer_id":46689601880241,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16 oz. \/ Ground - Coarse","offer_id":46689601913009,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16 oz. \/ Ground - French Press","offer_id":46689601945777,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16 oz. \/ Ground - Chemex","offer_id":46689601978545,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16 oz. \/ Ground - Drip","offer_id":46689602011313,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16 oz. \/ Ground - V60 Pour Over","offer_id":46689602044081,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16 oz. \/ Ground - K-Cup","offer_id":46689602076849,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16 oz. \/ Ground - Espresso","offer_id":46689602109617,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Whole Bean","offer_id":46689602142385,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Ground - Coarse","offer_id":46689602175153,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Ground - French Press","offer_id":46689602207921,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Ground - Chemex","offer_id":46689602240689,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Ground - Drip","offer_id":46689602273457,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Ground - V60 Pour Over","offer_id":46689602306225,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Ground - K-Cup","offer_id":46689602338993,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8 oz. \/ Ground - Espresso","offer_id":46689602371761,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Whole Bean","offer_id":46689602404529,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Ground - Coarse","offer_id":46689602437297,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Ground - French Press","offer_id":46689602470065,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Ground - Chemex","offer_id":46689602502833,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Ground - Drip","offer_id":46689602535601,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Ground - V60 Pour Over","offer_id":46689602568369,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Ground - K-Cup","offer_id":46689602601137,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 oz. \/ Ground - Espresso","offer_id":46689602633905,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/9385\/0289\/files\/Congo_-_Idjwi_Island.png?v=1772649293","url":"https:\/\/figleafcoffeecompany.com\/products\/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-idjwi-island","provider":"Fig Leaf Coffee Company","version":"1.0","type":"link"}