DR Congo Muungano

The Muungano cooperative is located on the Western shore of Lake Kivu, over three hours south of Goma, the capitol of the North Kivu Province.
Founded in 2009, the Muungano cooperative is comprised of 4,400 smallholder farmers, nearly half of them women. Gender justice is a principal focus of the members, as is integrating farmers from different ethnic groups. The word “Muungano” directly translates to “Togetherness” in Swahili. This holds true when you experience their community firsthand.
Despite the many challenges the coffee producers in the DRC face, the co-op farmers are remarkably focused, professional, and hopeful. Muungano coffee farmers are also remarkable for their eagerness to learn what they can do to strengthen their commercial relationships and to improve the quality of their production. A visit to Muungano is a great reminder of how hard our growers work to produce incredible coffee.