Faustin Ribarimana – April Roaster’s Choice

The final installment of my Glasgow cupping brings us this unqiue tasting coffee from the Musasa Ruli washing station which is situated in Rwanda’s Gakenke District of Northern Province.

About the Farmer: Faustin Ribalimana is a 57-year-old coffee farmer, who has been a pioneering member of the The Musasa Dukunde Kawa cooperative since its inception. Living just 200 meters from the cooperative’s headquarters, has allowed him to elevate his farm into a model of success. Faustin benefits greatly from convenient access to training sessions, advisory visits, and other resources, which has strengthened his coffee farming practices over the years. With 1,246 coffee trees, Faustin relies on coffee for 80% of his income. His unwavering commitment to coffee farming led to him being among the first recipients of a cow provided by the cooperative in 2012. This support enabled him to expand his coffee plantation, educate his family, and embark on renovating his home. Faustin’s farm has become a model of excellence, recognized for its high standards. This distinction affords him special treatment at the cooperative, where his coffee is processed exclusively for carefully curated special lots that cater to specific customer preferences. Faustin’s story is a testament to the impact of long-term cooperative support, where investment in farmers’ livelihoods translates into premium coffee experiences for consumers.

About The Musasa Dukunde Kawa cooperative: Musasa Dukunde Kawa is one of Rwanda’s largest coffee cooperatives, bringing together around 3,000 smallholder farmers in the country’s rugged northwest. Most producers farm less than a quarter of a hectare, typically growing 250–300 coffee trees alongside subsistence crops such as maize and beans. By working through the cooperative, these farmers are able to combine their harvests and process their cherries centrally, giving them access to better infrastructure and higher-value markets. The cooperative was formed during a period when Rwanda’s coffee sector was struggling. In the 1990s, falling world coffee prices and a commodity-focused market structure left many farmers in severe hardship. The introduction of quality-focused initiatives, including the USAID-supported PEARL programme and its successor SPREAD, helped transform the sector by encouraging the production of specialty coffee. Today, the impact is clear. Farmers working with Musasa Dukunde Kawa have seen their incomes rise significantly, while the cooperative consistently produces exceptional coffees for the specialty market. The name itself reflects this mission: in Kinyarwanda, “Musasa” means “a place to make a bed,” while “Dukunde Kawa” means “let’s love coffee,” highlighting the role coffee plays in improving rural livelihoods. Alongside coffee production, the cooperative supports its members through a range of social programmes, including assistance with school fees and medical insurance, agricultural training, and quality incentives. Farmers may also receive cows as bonuses for high-quality cherry—providing milk for nutrition and income, as well as manure to fertilise coffee trees. To help farmers deliver cherries quickly after harvest, the cooperative has even invested in specially designed bicycles.

Washing Stations and Processing: Musasa Dukunde Kawa owns four washing stations in the highlands of northwest Rwanda. The first of these, Ruli washing station, was built in 2003 with support from the Rwandan government and the PEARL project. Perched at 1,999 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest washing stations in the country. Ruli began serving farmers in 2004 and today processes cherries from more than 1,400 producers in the surrounding area. It also acts as the cooperative’s headquarters, where a team of permanent and seasonal workers carefully manage processing and quality control. Farmers deliver freshly picked cherries to the station, where they are pulped the same day and sorted by density. After pulping, the coffee ferments overnight before being washed and soaked to stabilise moisture levels. Much of the quality control happens during hand-sorting, a task largely carried out by women working at the station. The coffee is then dried slowly on raised beds for around 25 days, where it is turned regularly and protected from rain and intense sun. Once the beans reach the ideal moisture level, they are stored in parchment before being sent to the cooperative’s dry mill in Kigali for final processing and export preparation. Traceability is maintained through a simple ticketing system that records the harvest date and grade for each lot, ensuring quality and transparency throughout the process. Musasa Dukunde Kawa has become known for producing outstanding specialty coffees year after year, and its long-standing partnership with exporters and buyers continues to bring these remarkable coffees to roasters around the world.

What to expect in the cup: This complex cup opens with punchy black cherry juiciness, while fragrant black tea florals weave elegantly throughout. As it cools, subtle hints of peach begin to emerge, and the profile deepens into an almost jam-like sweetness. Delicate, airy floral tones linger on the finish, leaving a refreshingly light and refined aftertaste.