Bèkske coffee stands not only for delicious, but also for honest coffee. It is quality coffee with a story: by buying and drinking Bèkske, you make an impact on the lives of the Rwandan women who grow the coffee.

Local impact 

Currently, Bèkske supports 75 women who grow the coffee on individual and collective coffee plantations. This enables them to earn a living and build a future, not only for themselves, but for the whole family (about 300 children). For each kilo sold, they receive €1.00, in addition to the nationally determined $0.26 per kilo. On top of this they receive 25% of the profit as shareholders. Through our partner organization Solace Ministries in Rwanda, our women also receive guidance in the sustainable and responsible cultivation of coffee. For Solace Ministries, €1.80 per kilo of coffee sold is reserved.

In the end, all this means that no less than 39% of the proceeds go back to Rwanda, which is 3 to 4 times more than usual with other coffee brands. Bèkske’s mission is to be the first to support these 75 women before supporting other female entrepreneurs.

Solace Ministries 

Solace Ministries was founded in 1995 by Jean Gakwandi and is located in the capital city of Kigali. It is a non-governmental organization run by genocide survivors who, in turn, support other genocide survivors. Solace Ministries is in direct contact with the 75 women who grow the coffee for Bèkske. They provide the right training, the (mental) guidance, the supply of materials and the management of the community fund. This allows the coffee entrepreneurs to continue to grow the coffee in a responsible and a sustainable way.

Solace Ministries opened its own coffee shop in Kigali in 2018, which means that Bèkske is not only dependent on exports, but is also sold and drunk more frequently in Rwanda itself.

Read below to find out what impact Bèkske is having on women in Rwanda:

“This coffee gives us the prospect of a future we can look forward to” – Adria Nyiramagumeri
“I am grateful for this coffee project that brings us out of our isolation, connects us and supports us” – Adela Mukamugenzi
“Growing coffee – together with fellow sufferers – brings me great joy! I am happy to know that the coffee is also drunk in the Netherlands. That strengthens me in my work” – Lea Mukarwego
“I draw strength from the conversations and the presence of the other women during the work” – Neria Mukaneza
“I am grateful for this coffee project. We are hoping for a big export to be able to live carefree again” – Alvera Mukashabizi
“Growing this coffee brings us together, away from loneliness” – Sarai Mukantaganda

By Lotte Berends, Claudia Berkhof, Xinlei Zhang and Lieselotte Czakert (outreach students Ilab, Tilburg University) macos/deepLFree.translatedWithDeepL.text