Cultivating Women’s Empowerment in Burundi
This holiday season, we’re excited to share that we are facilitating and funding an empowerment association for women in coffee communities in Burundi, in honor of our valued partners.
The challenge
The last decade has been a difficult sociopolitical period for Burundi and its 400,000 coffee growers – as well as the millions who depend on coffee as a source of income – who have seen declining coffee productivity.
Women are an integral part of the coffee supply chain and do a significant portion of the labor on coffee farms. Yet, gender inequality remains a major challenge, with many women facing significant barriers to land ownership and economic opportunities.
Our impact
By collaborating with local communities to establish a women’s association in Burundi, we aim to help break down these barriers, advancing gender equality and fostering equitable, thriving coffee communities – a key focus of our IMPACT responsible sourcing program and of our work in-country.
Sucafina has a long tradition of investing in the Burundi coffee industry and building partnerships to support its smallholder farmers. Through our collaboration with Kahawatu Foundation, we’ve co-created and worked with numerous women’s groups that elevate and empower female coffee farmers in Burundi.
The new women’s association will work together with local communities to implement gender-focused programs that enhance women’s livelihoods and strengthen coffee communities, including:
- Training on Good Agricultural Practices, financial literacy, income-generating activities, and more.
- Village Savings & Loan Associations to expand access to finance.
- Providing essential resources, such as fertilizers and inputs.
- Gender sensitization programs within communities.
We look forward to sharing more details next year. Stay tuned for updates!
Thank you for your continued support this year. Together, we can make an IMPACT throughout the coffee value chain and create opportunities to improve lives.
Happy holidays and best wishes for 2025 from all of us at Sucafina!
