The programme seeks to contribute to the closing of the living income gap of 3,425 coffee producers—especially women and youth operating in 9 RWACOF coffee washing stations. This is done by providing them with opportunities to diversify their income streams and improve their livelihoods. The project is co-funded by Rikolto and SUCAFINA Rwanda (RWACOF Export Ltd) through its sustainability foundation, called Kahawatu Foundation Rwanda.
The Agriculture Gender Strategy (AGS) for Rwanda clearly shows gender inequality in the agricultural sector. It indicates that women farmers still have limited access to and control over productive assets. The study by the London School of Economics (LSE), 2022) indicated that there is limited agricultural land size -total land 0.82 hectare, where the share of land under coffee is 34%-.Additionally, there is a general lack of youth involvement in coffee production(51 years is the average age of coffee farmers) due to limited access to land, lack of motivation and scarcity of successful examples of possible business opportunities in the agriculture sector in the country. The same study shows that 40% of farmers are women, which gives a picture of women share in the national coffee production and why it is important to educate, invest and empower them.
After a fruitful ongoing collaboration with SUFACINA in Indonesia, SUCAFINA Rwanda/RWACOF via Kahawatu foundation and Rikolto in Rwanda, co-invested to build evidence on closing living income gaps, improving nutrition status of women and youth involved in coffee business in three provinces of Rwanda (East, West and South). This experience aims at embarking private sector investment to support farmers to diversify their source of incomes through production and marketing of other products besides coffee.
The project (model) consists of the empowerment of 3,425 women and youth coffee producers who supply cherries to 9 SUFACINA/RWACOF coffee washing stations in Rwanda.
Women play a significant role in food systems, from their participation in the agricultural workforce to making decisions on how to distribute income in the household regarding proper nutrition for all household members. The project will build the capacity of women and youth coffee producers on knowledge on food security and balanced diet, reproductive health and family planning and entrepreneurship.
Village Saving and loans Associations (VSLAs)are powerful vehicles of farmers prosperity. Even though, they are excluded from classic financial mechanisms led by banks. VSLAs are the motor of financial literacy (savings and access to credits) for low-income farmers, apart from a real workshop on democracy and transparency. At least 50 VSLAs will be established and equipped with VSLAs start-up kits such as a saving box, farmer saving record books, register books, rulers, small bags for coins, pens, stamps, and ink. Each VSLA will be comprised of 15-30 members who meet to save on a weekly basis. VSLAs will facilitate easy access to loans by members of the group at a low interest rate (5%) to invest in other income generating activities or expand their existing businesses, hence increasing their incomes. The project will accompany VSLAs until they reach the required maturity level.
Pigkeeping is a profitable business. The project will support construction of pigsties(10) which will be built on land plot availed by ten (10) groups of women and youth involved. Each of the 10 groups will be comprised of 30 members and will receive 5 pigs at the start. Group members will be trained in pig farming(feeding, hygiene, diseases management, reproduction) by veterinaries. Once the pigs deliver, group members will organize themselves on how to distribute the new piglets among themselves until every member is served.
Pig farming will enable these project beneficiaries to invest more in coffee but also create more income generating activities to reduce poverty among women and youth. The pig waste will also be used as manure for coffee trees, fruit trees and kitchen garden, hence increased productivity.
Fruits (bananas, avocados and mangos) production and marketing systems at farmer level are sustainably reinforced
The project will apply the practice related to maintaining and increasing natural habitat and foster ecosystem health and resilience. This implies integration of agroforestry and intercropping fruits trees on coffeefarms. Experiences show environmental benefit of intercropping in terms of attracting birds (they can minimize attacks led by insects) and bees(pollination of food crops) in addition to nutrition benefits brought in the household's diet in terms of vitamin and iron intakes.
Intercropping of some species of fruits (mango, avocado and banana) with coffee gives the advantage of improvement of nutrients availability for coffee (thanks to deep roots systems), increasing biomass(mutual benefit in terms of yield) and moisture while protecting coffee cherries against adverse weather conditions (heavy rains, drought, winds). This implies training in optimal crops intercropping, provision of fruits seedlings, incentives for adoption and follow-up.
Nurseries of avocado and mangos will be established, and grafting will be encouraged for both crops so production cycle can belowered while increasing productivity.
At the end of the project 3,425 women and youth have acquired knowledge on food security and balanced diet, reproductive health and family planning and entrepreneurship.
At least 50 VSLAs will have been established to promote financial resilience and embracing a culture of saving for farmers’ households.
A total of 3,425 fruit trees seedling distributed to farmers to improve their dietary choices and increase income.
About 10 groups composed of total 300 women and youth facilitated to start income generating activities related to livestock (pigs farming).
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