10 years ago, Horsham Coffee Roasters struck up a partnership with the Bwishaza co-operative in Rwanda. Today, the two celebrate this decade-long collaboration with the introduction of the Bwishaza
Goat Project; an ambitious idea that sees Horsham Coffee Roasters provider 77 goats for the co-operative while also committing to continue supplying goats until every one of the (approximately) 600 members has received one.
The 10-year sourcing partnership began with a visit that required a boat across Lake Kivu and a motorbike taxi. Now, a tarmacked road runs straight to the washing station – a marker of how much has changed within this period. Bwishaza has consistently produced exceptional washed coffees and bespoke microlots, with this year’s standout being an anaerobic fermented natural, unlike any other Rwandan coffee HCR has worked with.
Funds raised via direct customer donations – along with £1 from every bag of Bwishaza coffee sold – totalled £523, with HCR topping this up to £3,000. The aim was to fund 60 goats, but Bosco – HCR’s contact in Rwanda – managed to negotiate 77 goats with a local supplier, taking them 17 above target. Recipients were chosen by a random draw at a community meeting, and anyone who receives a goat will be excluded from future draws to ensure each member eventually gets a goat.
The idea of the Bwishaza Goat Project formed when HCR realised how vital goats are to smallholder farms in this region. They’re a low-maintenance animal that’s easy to care for and provides owners with a reliable secondary income alongside coffee.
Horsham Coffee Roasters wants this to be an ongoing project that celebrates a 10-year sourcing partnership with a fantastic community. Donations remain open at checkout for all customers who purchase products through the company – as well as £1 from select Rwandan coffee sales feeding the fund. It will work towards the goal of supplying around 600 goats to the co-operative, further emphasising that this partnership is not just transactional CSR but actually means something to both HCR and the Bwishaza co-operative in Rwanda.
About Horsham Coffee Roasters
Horsham Coffee Roasters started out as a small business in a garage that roasted coffee beans. Over time, it’s grown into a larger company that still retains its independence – and it now owns multiple cafes that are dedicated to serving single-origin coffees on espresso and filter. It’s a company that prides itself on developing relationships with produces and farmers all over the world, currently providing “Relationship Coffees” that help partners in Kenya, Rwanda and Costa Rica. More information can be found on the HCR website here: https://www.horshamcoffeeroaster.co.uk/.