Limited Edition: Rwanda Gatare Washing Station - Yego Coffee

District: Nyamasheke

Region: Kivu Belt, Nyungwe Edge

Altitude: 1542 - 1857 masl

Coffee Process: Natural

Water Source: Natural Spring

Flavor Notes: Lemon, Chocolate, Strawberry

This coffee comes to us from Yego Coffee and the Gatare Washing Station in Nyamasheke, Rwanda. Most of the farms that grow this coffee are located in areas surrounding Kivu lake near the Nyungwe forest at altitudes of between 1,542 – 1857 meters above sea level. The Gatare Washing Station runs like a business but feels like a family. Only 5 people out of its 25 person permanent staff have worked there for less than a decade. Because of this, Yego Coffee has chosen to source from this location and conduct their research and coffee tasting trials there. Gatare Washing Station was a pioneer in the natural and honey processes which has helped them perfect their practices. They work closely with the farmers in this area to increase their coffee quality and production amounts by helping plant new trees and providing financial and technical support. Due to its farm to cup model, Yego coffee sources with both the farmer and consumer in mind; ensuring that they are paying producers well above market price, while providing high grade specialty coffee to the consumer.

Yego Coffee, based out of Boston, MA was founded in 2019 by Francois Tuyishime. The word “Yego” is the Kinyarwandan word for “yes”. This word has special meaning for Francois and serves as a symbol of positivity and affirmation in Rwanda. This positivity has helped bring Rwanda and its people out of the darkness that was the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.  Francois was just six years old at the time of the genocide and like many, had to leave his village in western Rwanda in order to survive.

Francois’ family has been in the Rwandan coffee industry for over 40 years. His father used coffee not only as a means of income but as a way to build and support communities; a practice that was instilled in Francois through watching his father work alongside coffee farmers when he was young. Because of the teachings he learned from his father, a portion of the profits of Yego Coffee goes directly to providing lunches and covering school fees in coffee growing communities in southern and western provinces of Rwanda. A cup of this coffee is not only delicious, it also directly supports these rural farmers.