International Women's Day

This year, we want to celebrate Women's Day in a special way: we are roasting Cafe des Mamas - a coffee produced by a special women's project in Rwanda.

The Cafe des Mamas women's project was founded by a Canadian social entrepreneur named Heather Cameron. Cameron first visited Rwanda in 2007 and was inspired by the beauty of the country and the hospitality of its inhabitants. However, she was also affected by the impact of the 1994 genocide on the country, particularly on women.

Cameron recognized that many women in rural communities in Rwanda were struggling to earn a living and support their families due to poverty and discrimination. She decided to do something about it and founded the Cafe des Mamas women's project in 2009 to support women in rural communities and improve their economic situation.

Since the project's inception, Cameron has worked closely with local communities and partner organizations to promote awareness of women's rights and gender equality and empower women in Rwanda. The project has reached many women in rural communities and helped improve their living conditions.

Clara Zetkin

1857-1933 Clara Zetkin is now almost legendary, having been a particularly strong advocate for women's rights. In 1907 she started the International Women Workers' Conference to push women's work in the socialist movement. Zetkin not only campaigned for women's suffrage and better working conditions for women, she also worked hard to keep the peace. Zetkin's contribution to women's and workers' rights is still remembered today.

TO THE COFFEE

Frida Kahlo

1907-1954 As an artist, Frida Kahlo redefined the image of women in the art world with her works. She rebelled against the common notion that women can only be depicted as objects and expressed her own identity and experiences in her paintings. Kahlo used her own life and pain story to draw attention to social ills. Themes of identity, gender roles, sexuality and physical pain are all addressed in her work and represent a new form of self-representation and self-realisation for women. Through her art, she has shown that women have their own voice and that they should use it.

To the Coffee

Rosa Parks

1913-2005 Rosa Parks made a significant contribution to the women's movement in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. She also triggered the civil rights movement in the USA. The Rosa Parks case became a landmark because it related to all segregation laws.

To the Coffee

Harriet Tubman

1820-1913 Harriet Tubman made a valuable contribution through her courageous commitment to the abolition of slavery and the promotion of women's rights. As a former slave, she worked tirelessly to free slaves. She helped hundreds of slaves escape from the southern states to freedom and actively campaigned for the rights of African Americans. Tubman was a strong supporter of women's rights and fought for gender equality. She believed that women had as much right as men to be free and independent and to shape their own lives. When she realised that women's rights were being neglected in the fight against slavery, she founded the women's rights movement in Auburn, New York, to encourage women to stand up for their rights.

To the Coffee

The Nova Washing Station in Rwanda

What is the Cafe des Mamas?

The Mamas Women's Project café was founded by a Canadian social entrepreneur named Heather Cameron. Cameron first visited Rwanda in 2007 and was struck by the beauty of the country and the hospitality of its people. However, she was also struck by the impact of the 1994 genocide on the country and on women in particular. Cameron realised that many women in Rwanda were struggling to earn an income and feed their families due to poverty and discrimination in rural communities. She decided to do something about it and founded the Café des Mamas women's project in 2009 to support women in rural communities and improve their economic situation. Since the project's inception, Cameron has worked closely with local communities and partner organisations to raise awareness of women's rights and gender equality and empower women in Rwanda. The project has reached many women in rural communities and helped to improve their living conditions.