20 Aug 2022
We met our wonderful guide Patti at Question Coffee Cafe in Kigali where we were greeted with freshly brewed coffee and croissants. From there, we drove with our own car (although transport can be also organized by QC) to Kayonza city where we stopped to order lunch at the Women's Opportunity Centre. Then, we drove to the TUK Cooperative farm where we picked up Agnes, the cooperative's president. In this first stop, we were greeted by a group of lovely lady farmers who sang, danced and illustrated in detail the coffee cultivation process. Subsequently, we drove with Patti and Agnes to their washing station where we given an explanation of coffee processing as well as a tasting session. Finally, we drove back to Kayonza where we had a nice lunch. At the Opportunity Centre, there was also a souvenir shop with local handmade items. When we returned to Kigali, Question Coffee offered us a coffee gift and another delicious coffee!
The whole experience was educational for coffee lovers but also very insightful in regard to the dedication and hard work of these proud Rwandan women. The drive itself is an experience, particularly the part from Kayonza to the coffee farm - you literally drive through innumerable banana plantations and pass by several small rural villages. We appreciated the human connection and we recommend this farm trek to anyone. Also well done to Question Coffee for organizing the activity in a professional and informative way!