Green Gicumbi Brings Sustainable Prosperity to Coffee Growers in Bwisige

Coffee farmers in Gihuke Cell, Bwisige Sector, Gicumbi District are celebrating a remarkable transformation in their lives, crediting the Green Gicumbi Project for laying a strong foundation for improved livelihoods and economic resilience over the past five years.

The Green Gicumbi initiative, which aims to combat climate change while promoting sustainable agriculture, facilitated the planting of over 100,000 coffee trees across 40 hectares of steep terrain in Bwisige Sector. Beneficiaries say the project not only protected their fragile environment but also unlocked new income-generating opportunities. Today, the farmers are pushing to expand the coffee plantation to 80 hectares and have already received an additional 650,000 seedlings to scale up cultivation beyond the Gihuke site.

Delphine Murekatete, a mother of two from Munini village, Gihuke Cell, Bwisige Sector, recalls the skepticism and fear that gripped the community when they were told they could no longer grow beans on their land.

“We heard that they will plant coffee here, and we said, what are we going to do now so we don’t starve? We complained because we saw coffee coming,” she said.

But five years later, Murekatete says those fears have turned into joy and progress.

“Now we get health insurance without any problems. We teach children without any problems. Because of Green Gicumbi, we are happy now; there is no problem. I even replaced the tin sheets that I used to use for the roof.”

Before the project, her farming efforts were constantly thwarted by unpredictable weather and erosion. But with 139 coffee trees now under her care, her first harvest earned her 50,000 RWF—money she reinvested in local cooperatives.

“I saved in four different groups. I pay 200 RWF each month, 10,500 RWF in total, and I was able to withdraw 150,000 RWF. I’m now planning to buy more land—and all of it is thanks to coffee,” she said proudly.

Similarly, Alexandre Bizumuremyi, another farmer from Gihuke Cell, has seen a dramatic boost in productivity.

“Before, I had about 127 trees; the Green Gicumbi Project brought me 1,200,” he said. “Now, I’ve bought a bull for 500,000 RWF, and I can afford school fees and health insurance.”

He emphasized coffee’s potential as a profitable crop.

“Someone who plants other trees usually harvests after about four years, earning no more than 500,000 RWF. But someone with 1,000 coffee trees can earn over a million,” Bizumuremyi added.

The Green Gicumbi Project didn’t stop at planting trees. According to Theogène Ntakirutimana, Watershed Protection Specialist with the project, significant environmental rehabilitation was part of the plan.

“This hill was once severely degraded by erosion. We introduced terraces, multi-level canals, and planted grass and trees to stabilize the land,” he explained. “Now the soil retains moisture and nutrients, supporting healthy crop growth.”

Ntakirutimana also stressed the importance of equipping the community with agricultural knowledge.

“We trained them on how to treat farming as an investment. To keep harvesting, you must invest in the land and the crops,” he said.

The coffee grown on Gihuke hill is a new, high-quality variety known as RAB C15—developed by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and derived from Ethiopian Arabica. Currently in its third harvest season, the coffee yields an average of 10 kilograms per tree, with each kilogram fetching about 800 RWF.

The 137 participating farmers are organized into a cooperative and already have access to a coffee washing station, ensuring better processing and market access. As they look to the future, their focus is on expanding plantations and increasing output—all while continuing to protect the environment.

The Green Gicumbi Project, through its integrated approach, is not only changing landscapes but transforming lives, turning once-uncertain futures into stories of self-reliance and hope.