Muungano

Muungano, meaning ‘Togetherness’ in Swahili, is using coffee to bring together war-divided communities, and in doing so is protecting their land and protecting their future.

Founded in
2009

Location
On the slopes above the Western shore
of Lake Kivu, Province du Sud Kivu

Altitude
1,300m to 2,000m

Membership
4,247 producers
(1,758 women
and 2,489 men)

Varieties
mainly Bourbon

Certifications
Organic, Fairtrade

Average size of
land per farmer
0.73 hectares

Grades
K3, K4

Muungano cooperative, May 2023

Headquarter
Kiniezere, Territoire de Kalehe, Province du Sud Kivu

Infrastructure
4 washing stations: Kiniezire, Buchiro, Butumba, Nyabirehe and 3 micro washing stations: Karango, Chebumba and Bishange
1 truck to transport parchment
1 milling factory in Goma

Management team
A General Assembly, a Board of Directors, a Supervisory Committee, a Premium Committee, 1 Director-Manager, 1 Accountant, 1 Assistant Accountant, 1 Cashier, 1 Cupper

Technical team
8 sentinels, 17 agronomists, 1 documentation officer and 3 supervisors (for agroecology, certification and for IGAs) and at least 300 daily workers for the two crops per year

Main harvest period
February to June

Export period of main harvest
August to September

Fly crop harvest period
September to December

Fly crop export period
January to February

Muungano means “Togetherness” in Swahili. In 2009, 350 founding members came together and founded the Muungano Coffee Cooperative. Today they have 4,247 members living in different communities that were in the past divided by the civil war.

Prior to the cooperative, producers were taking huge risks by crossing the lake at night to sell their coffee in Rwanda, where prices of coffee were higher than those the itinerant buyers offered. This risk of crossing the lake led to drownings and deaths. They were also working in isolation without any organisation or coordination, which had a negative impact on the quality of the coffee produced. In addition, the absence of a structure bringing together coffee producers reduced cohesion among them in terms of price setting, leaving the buyers free to impose a derisory price.

The cooperative’s objectives are to:

enhance the value of coffee production
increase members’ income by improving the quantity and the quality of their coffee
become a strong player on the coffee market

To achieve these objectives, the cooperative provides training on good practices and promotes the love of good work.

The members understand that protecting their land is protecting their future. Their coffee is grown sustainably in mountainous regions, using chemical-free homemade compost, and is shaded by banana trees.

From 2009 to 2014, the cooperative was using two washing stations, one of which was rented from a foundation. Now, the cooperative owns four washing stations and three mini washing stations.

The cooperative has been certified Fairtrade from 2014 and organic from 2016.

Muungano

In addition to its coffee production activity, the cooperative supports its members and works to improve the social and economic life of those in the community.

The cooperative built a hydroelectric plant which provides power to 65 households around the cooperative's headquarters in Kiniezire.

It is also in the process of building a hospital called Muungano Medical Clinic to provide members and the community with easy access to effective health services. This clinic has been paid by the Fairtrade premiums.

They have built health centers, schools and bridges and undertaken projects with women, such as sewing training.