Resourcing women entrepreneurs in Rwanda with Kula
In the face of so many global crises, it is crucial for like-minded organizations to work together to deepen our impact and create lasting change. That’s why Planet Women is proud to partner with so many inspiring women and women-focused organizations in Africa, the Amazon, the American West and beyond.
One of Planet Women’s longest running grant partners is Kula Project, a nonprofit that works to eradicate poverty through the development of entrepreneurs in Rwanda’s coffee communities. Like Planet Women, Kula focuses on improving the lives and livelihoods of women. Because when women thrive, communities thrive. When women thrive, nature thrives. When women thrive, the Earth thrives.
For the last three years, Planet Women has granted funding to Kula Project to further their programs supporting women entrepreneurs in achieving their dreams in rural Rwandan communities. This year, more than 230 aspiring female entrepreneurs graduated from Kula Project’s 15-month Fellowship Program in November 2023. Through the program, Fellows learn how to grow sustainable coffee businesses, plant native trees, launch new businesses, and diversify their revenue streams, exponentially grow their income, ultimately supporting their children’s education, renovating their homes, and building their businesses.
Kula Project Fellows in Rwanda. © Kula Project.
Why Women?
In Rwanda, 52% of the population lives in extreme poverty, including the majority of Rwanda’s 450,000 coffee farmers. Female coffee farmers in particular face a disproportionate amount of challenges within the sector. Despite carrying an unequally large burden of responsibilities, they are often excluded from decision-making processes and have less access to finance, environmentally sustainable farm materials, training, and leadership opportunities.
When women have the opportunity to earn income and access finance, gain strategic knowledge and skills, and have the right to make decisions for themselves and their families, the result is more equitable and sustainable livelihood improvements.
Why Coffee?
Consistently one of the top three export cash crops in Rwanda, coffee is grown throughout the country and has the potential to be uniquely impactful in the lives of female farmers. While involving a higher barrier of entry than other crops, coffee is a long term investment that, when cultivated well, can provide a greater return per land size than most others.
Kula’s Approach
One of the reasons why Planet Women has continued to support this fellowship is that Kula focuses on the whole person—not just their income or their profession. Working with local mentors, the fellows build self-confidence and create a vision for their household and their future. They learn about financial literacy, nutrition,family health, and how to step into positions of power at home and at work.
Last year, Kula collected data and feedback from the previous fellowship graduates one year after graduation, including the five women who previously received Planet Women scholarships. Graduates on average experienced a 231% increase in income, 395% increase in savings, and a 116% increase in coffee harvest. Additionally, 53% of graduates have diversified their income by launching new businesses. An incredible 93% of graduates have maintained profitable businesses and on average reported a 364% increase in savings.
Hear from Jackie Mutesi, Executive Program Director, Kula Project:
“In rural areas of Rwanda, poverty is uniquely harsh for women. Far too often women are doing the majority of work on the farm, but they have little role in making decisions as to how the money is spent or about the future of their families. This is why Kula exists—to eradicate poverty through the development of entrepreneurs in Rwanda’s coffee communities.Through the Kula Fellowship Program, we work primarily with women coffee farmers. We provide farm tools, coffee and shade trees, and agronomy training to help them increase their coffee production. We offer business training and investment to help them launch new revenue streams. And we offer personal mentorship to coach them through the process.I believe this three-pronged approach is the most helpful way to support women to see themselves as not just farmers but as business owners, to create a vision for their future, and to experience a real, empowering increase in income, which will help them to get out of poverty once for all.”