kirindera women's peace coffee - drc - washed

Fi O’Brien and Casey Lalonde are the owners of Girls Who Grind, based in Wiltshire, South-West England. They are a womxn-led, anti-patriarchy specialty coffee roastery and they are part of the rebellion movement. All coffees they source come exclusively from change-making womxn producers whose work is celebrated and stories are shared. To give back to the producers in exchange for everything they give, above and beyond the beans themselves, Fi and Casey run the Cheek to Cheek initiative, where 10% of the sale price of all their retail coffees is put back into their suppliers' pockets to show intention about being one team. 

About the beans... The Kirindera Women’s Peace Coffee of the COOPADE Association aims to bring peace to Virunga National Park and across the Democratic Republic of Congo. By growing coffee, the Kirindera women are employing young people and providing them with an alternative to joining the armed groups that are destabilizing the region.

This absolutely delicious coffee with a gorgeous buttery (chewy) mouthfeel ticks all of the boxes. It’s unctuous and sweet and finishes with lovely rhubarb tartness and floral aroma.

About the Kirindera Women... The Kirindera Women's Peace Coffee from the women’s section of the Coopade Association gives female coffee farmers the opportunity to control and develop their own coffee production through the whole chain. 2020 was the first year in which some of Coopade’s coffee produced by women has been kept separate from the rest of the co-operative’s production and marketed with its own identity. It is being produced and sold with pride – pride in its high quality and in the organizational efforts that have made it possible. It is being sold with a small premium that will boost the women’s incomes.

Gisele Kahindo, of the women’s section, was asked why the women of Kirindera chose to call their coffee Women’s Peace Coffee. She replied:

“It’s because of the atrocities that have been committed and which continue to be committed in Eastern Congo. It’s so that by growing coffee women can say no to what is happening – and in particular by employing young people we can provide them with an alternative so that they are no longer drawn to join the armed groups that are destabilizing Virunga National Park. We want to see peace for everyone living in DRC. and above all for those living on the borders of the Virunga National Park”.

Cooperative: Kirindera Women's Peace
Region: Virunga National Park, North Kivu
Country: Democratic Republic of Congo
Variety: Blue Mountain Rumangabo
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1300-2100masl

Grind note: grind away. Just the way you like it.

Shelf-life: 180 days