Gisheke - Rwanda

Rwanda holds a special place in our hearts as the first origin that we visited back in 2017. This coffee comes from the Gisheke washing station in Nyamasheke District in Rwanda's Western Province. The washing station is situated between two hills that point towards Lake Kivu, Idjwi Island, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The wind funnels down between the mountains creating ideal conditions for processing and drying the coffee. In the cup it is clean and sweet, with notes of apple, rhubarb and caramel.

Gisheke is one of a number of washing stations managed by the Muraho Trading Company, a young and dynamic company with a focus on showcasing the very best of Rwandan coffee, and telling the story of the people behind it. In May 2020, two of the other washing stations managed by MTC - Shyira and Vunga - were devastated by heavy rains, and the resulting flooding and mudslides. 28 members of these coffee producing communities lost their lives, and a much larger number lost their crop and livestock. The preliminary report on the extent of the damage makes for sobering reading.

Our importing partner Raw Material has setup a fund to help support the relief and rebuilding effort. We will be making our own contribution by way of monies raised through the sale of our popular Mountain Rescue coffee. If you would like to contribute, or to just learn more about the extent of the damage, then please visit Raw Material's appeal page here.