100% woman coffee
Our new Ndabaga Coffee brand is about supporting and empowering women farmers through specialty coffee.
In most farming communities, it is women who work the hardest. But often, they don’t share in the rewards.
At San, we have found that our women farmers work harder and more efficiently. They understand that by growing and delivering the highest quality of coffee cherries, they can make a good income. This directly improves the lives of their families and children.
It makes sense for our company to employ and reward women as they are the ones driving the coffee economy.
This is why San created Ndabaga Coffee - our first, 100% woman coffee.
Inspiration behind the Ndabaga brand
San Coffee founder, Nsabemungu Aime Christian, was inspired to produce a women’s coffee by a trip to western Rwanda. In a casual conversation with a woman farmer there, Christian joked that she is a very important person as she has the biggest impact in the second most important industry in the world (after the oil and petroleum industry).
She quietly responded: “Who even notices that the backbone of this industry are women farmers?”
This made him reflect on how little acknowledgement they do receive, and he wanted to showcase the people behind coffee and share their stories. And to make sure that they are fairly rewarded for their dedication and hard work.
Christian was also motivated by his aunt’s story. A hard-working woman who loved her family dearly, she was also a survivor of domestic abuse with very little power to change her situation.
Rwandan women are no strangers to the challenges of life. It is for women like Christian’s aunt and the farmer in western Rwanda, that San Coffee created Ndabaga Coffee.
Through coffee, we have an opportunity to help as many women as possible.
By breaking the cycle, we change not just the future of individual women and their families but of all Rwandans. We can rebuild a fairer and stronger country on a foundation of respect.
We chose the name “Ndabaga” from the Rwandan heroine. We take inspiration from her bravery in defying traditional gender roles. Ndabaga triumphed when she took it upon herself to excel in the world of men, and we honour her legacy by elevating our sisters who follow in her footsteps.
The Ndabaga difference
This is exquisite coffee, produced exclusively by women farmers from Mwezi, Nyamasheke, in the western province of Rwanda. It grows high in the mountains at 1,000-1,800m, thriving in the rich, black soils of ancient volcanoes.
Our Ndabaga Arabica Bourbon and Jackson 2/1257 cups at 87.
Ndabaga coffee is selected and treated separately and sold as a special women-produced coffee. We want to preserve their special brand and recognise their hard work.
Every cherry is carefully handpicked by our women farmers who transport their precious crop to our coffee washing station at Mwezi.
Here, the cherries are processed as fully washed before being dried on raised beds – which can take anywhere from 15-20 days. At every step of the way, the coffee is sorted to remove anything but the finest quality cherries and beans – all overseen by women.
Ndabaga is a full-bodied, smooth coffee with notes of vanilla, spice cherry, papaya, lime, black sugar and caramel. It is chocolatey and nutty with medium malic acidity, a buttery body and a beautiful, silky finish.
The Ndabaga brand employs women across our operations, giving both farmers and employees positions of authority and respect within our organisation.
What’s next for
Ndabaga Coffee
Ndabaga Coffee is currently cupping at 87 and we are constantly looking for ways to improve this even further.
For us this is just the beginning. We hope to sell this beautiful specialty coffee, with a beautiful story, attracting premium prices that will be returned directly to the women coffee producers.
We are building the capacity and capability of our women farmers with special training and support – always with an eye on continuous quality improvement.
We are planning to grow the capacity of our women’s coffee small holdings by planting more coffee trees as well as shade trees.
This project will begin in October 2021, once the harvest is complete and at just the right time for planting new trees. It is very much in line with San Coffee’s sustainability focus – caring for the environment which gives us beautiful coffee.
We hope to grow our brand by working with other specialised women coffee producers and traders. The more markets we can reach with this coffee, the more women will benefit across the supply chain.