July 2026

Majirane Cooperative is working to give women in South Kivu a stronger voice and fair recognition in coffee farming, while also using coffee planting to help restore forests and fight climate change.

Founded in 2020 by Namwana Muvunga Feza, the Majirane Agricultural Cooperative is based on the steep, green volcanic shores of Lake Kivu in South Kivu province. It brings together 500 farmers,  221 women and 379 men, and was created to highlight and support the important role women already play in local agriculture.

The cooperative set up its first coffee washing station in 2021, with 12 drying tables, along with a smaller micro station that has 5 tables and space to expand.

Their first coffee harvest was sold locally in 2022. Since then, they have been working on growing more coffee trees, producing seedlings, and sharing young plants with members. This helps increase production while also supporting reforestation efforts.

At its core, the cooperative aims to strengthen coffee farming in the region and encourage more people to return to a crop that had been largely overlooked for years.

A key focus is empowering women. Majirane helps women recognise their role in coffee production, understand their rights, and build confidence in farming and business. The goal is to encourage cooperation, self reliance, and entrepreneurship within the community.

This young cooperative situated on the steep banks of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is working to give women in South Kivu a stronger voice and fair recognition in coffee farming, while also using coffee planting to help restore forests and fight climate change.

DRC coffee is renowned for its vibrant, complex, and fruit forward flavour profiles. Grown in the rich volcanic soils and high altitudes of the Great Rift Valley.

Tinganga Farm, home to the Sasini Estate AB Lot, is located in the highlands of Kenya’s Kiambu region to the north of the capital Nairobi. The lush green rolling hills in area reach elevations up to 1,830 meters above sea level. Combined with the area’s rich red volcanic soil, these conditions create an ideal environment for producing exceptional coffee.

“Over the years, I’ve gained extensive knowledge in managing coffee trees for high production and received agronomic support to implement sustainable best practices while delivering high quality coffee.” - David J. Murunga

Owned by Sasini PLC, Tinganga Estate spans approximately 260 hectares and employs around 300 workers. Since beginning coffee cultivation in 1952, Sasini has expanded to six plantations across the Kenyan Highlands, along with its own processing mill.

Beyond producing carefully selected and expertly processed coffees, the estate is committed to responsible agricultural and manufacturing practices. Sustainability initiatives include water cleaning and reuse after pulping, regular pruning programs, shade tree planting, and composting coffee pulp into organic fertiliser used throughout the farm.

Only fully ripe red cherries are carefully handpicked before undergoing a meticulous fully washed process. The coffee is then fermented for 12–16 hours and sun dried on raised beds for two to three weeks. To maintain consistent quality, each lot is cupped and evaluated at the estate before export.

It is common to roast Kenyan coffees extremely lightly, to highlight the dominant acidity. But in the case of the Sasini, we were impressed with its intense honey sweetness, and so developed the natural sugars a little further with a longer roast time, and higher temperature. This has resulted in a complex sweetness with subtle florals, black forest fruits and a hint of cocoa on the finish.