Kayanza - Burundi
The Coffee
Region: Shikankoni, Kayanza
Varietal(s): Bourbon
Processing method: Washed
Elevation: 1650 - 2000 masl
The Story
This fully washed lot is from smallholder producers on Jene Hill in Shikankoni in Kayanza. These farmers work with Cafex, a project launched by a Belgian-Burundian couple that wanted to combine the coffee production of their ancestral lands with sustainable development and a desire to improve the lives of the local population.
This lot is milled and exported by Ikawa Nziza which began in 2013, specifically aimed at building and promoting the specialty coffee production in Burundi. Ikawa Nziza’s mill is Burundi's first purpose-built speciality drymill, situated at altitude and designed to cater for high-quality microlot coffees.
The Cafex station has positively impacted families in the region. The town where the washing station is located is undeveloped and the implementation of the Cafex station allows men and women of the town to find a job that gives them a better salary to improve their quality of life.
Families who have a seasonal job have the opportunity to receive an extra income that gives them access to medical care or allows them to buy books in order to send their children to school. Whereas many coffee producers have to wait many months to receive final payment for their harvest, Cafex has introduced a weekly payment to growers, with no delay. It allows them to have a regular income throughout the harvest coffee season.