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Taste Rwanda's sweeter, richer side.
Emmanuel Rusatira founded Baho Coffee, intending to help to improve the livelihood of small coffee farmers in Rwanda. His empathy for their life struggles stems from having been born into a smallholding coffee-farming family himself.
He came to a deeper understanding of the material challenges they face throughout his years directly working with them as a coffee washing station manager and realized the true extent of their plight when he oversaw upwards of 30 washing stations across the country when he was working as a Department Head of Specialty, Sustainability, and Certification.
The foundations for a quality-focused coffee industry established by the Rwandese government to revive the nation after the 1994 genocide —where Emmanuel lost his parents and brother — served not only as a source of hope for survivors like him but also served as the solid ground upon which they could rebuild their lives.
Emmanuel decided that the evocative Rwandese word "baho," literally meaning "have life," best captures and conveys his company's reason for being — which is for his smallholding coffee farmer partners to have better lives.
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READ MORE ABOUT THEIR WASHING STATIONS:
The Muzo Washing Station takes its name from the sector where it is located and is run by the Muzo Cooperative in partnership with Baho Coffee, under a 10-year agreement. Enhancing the well-established fundamental systems to uphold quality, the station has adopted Emmanuel’s management style as Baho continues to share its operational expertise.
Farmers that deliver to Muzo are recognized and rewarded by Baho Coffee for providing high-quality cherries to the washing station through premium prices and a second, bonus payment. On top of that, the company extends educational, financial, and agricultural services to smallholder farmers and has set up several social programs focused on more marginalized segments within the farming community, like women, the elderly, and the youth.
950 smallholder farmers bring their cherries to the Fugi Washing Station in the Southwestern Province of Rwanda, between the Nyungwe National Forest and the border with Burundi. It is solely dedicated to producing specialty coffee and has gained a reputation for unmatched micro-lots resulting from the combination of favorable climatic conditions, nutrient-balanced soils, appropriate farming practices, and purposeful post-harvest processing.
The farmers are recognized and rewarded by Baho Coffee for cultivating high-quality cherries and delivering these to the washing station through premium prices and a second, bonus payment. Emmanuel also helps their community to make its members feel they are part of the company’s growth by providing health insurance and extending financial support for the children’s school-related expenses.
546 smallholder farmers bring their harvest to the Musha Washing Station, which is located in Eastern Rwanda, adjacent to the capital city of Kigali. It is one of the 11 washing stations in Rwamagana that have been rehabilitated as part of their District Development Strategy from 2018 to 2024, which aims to increase citizens' quality of life through increased production of lucrative crops like coffee.
Farmers that deliver to Musha are recognized and rewarded by Baho Coffee for providing high-quality cherries to the washing station through premium prices and a second, bonus payment. On top of that, the company extends educational, financial, and agricultural services to these farmers and has set up several social programs focused on more marginalized segments within the farming community, like women, the elderly, and the youth.