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About Rwanda
Prior to the nineteenth century, Twa, Hutu and Tutsi lived in relative harmony and roughly corresponded to their respective occupations of sedentary agriculture (Hutu) and graziers (Tutsi) The nation and cultural mix is believed to have developed over two thousand years resulting in sharing common language and culture.
The Tutsi were the cattle herders, soldiers and administrators, the Hutu were the farmers and the marginalised Twa were hunter-gatherers or potters. Individuals could and did move between the category of Tutsi and Hutu as their fortunes rose and fell and intermarriage was not uncommon
The Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, was a mass slaughter of Tutsi, Twa, and moderate Hutu in Rwanda, which took place between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War.
The genocide was organised by members of the core Hutu political elite, many of whom occupied positions at top levels of the national government. Most historians agree that a genocide against the Tutsi had been planned for at least a year. However the assassination of Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana on 6 April 1994 created a power vacuum and ended peace accords. Genocidal killings began the following day when soldiers, police, and militia executed key Tutsi and moderate Hutu military and political leaders.
The scale and brutality of the massacre caused shock worldwide, however Western nations such as the U.S., Belgium, France, and others ignored the genocide. Most of the victims were killed in their own villages or in towns, often by their neighbors and fellow villagers. Hutu gangs searched out victims hiding in churches and school buildings. The militia murdered victims with machetes and rifles. An estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed, about 70% of the Tutsi population. Sexual violence was rife, with an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 women raped during the genocide. The genocide ended with the military victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front.
The genocide had lasting and profound effects on Rwanda and neighbouring countries. Today, Rwanda has two public holidays to mourn the genocide, and denial or historic revisionism of the genocide is a criminal offence. As a result of the genocide, nations collaborated to establish the International Criminal Court.
Source: WikipediaHelp us make a difference
There are many different ways that you can help us to make a difference. Remember that all proceeds from the sale of coffee goes towards helping those less fortunate than us have a better quality of life.
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All donations to the Club are gratefully received with proceeds going towards projects within Rwanda that directly benefit genocide survivors.
Use our secure PayPal facility online or post.
Make a Donation2
We market excellent quality Rwandan coffee when it is practical to purchase container loads. Meanwhile we are supplying premium coffees from other developing nations, Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance where possible.
The proceeds of sales go towards projects within Rwanda which directly benefit genocide survivors. Vocational education and health are extremely high priorities.
Visit Shop3
If you feel moved by the tragedy in Rwanda to help more then you might like to host a Rwandan tea (coffee) party.
The object being to socialise and spread information about the genocide in the hope that the more aware we are about this atrocity the more we guard against it happening again. The party can also help identify new Rwandan Coffee Club members.
Learn MoreMake a Donation
Your donation will help us make a difference. Every dollar we receive goes towards improving the quality of life for survivors of the Rwandan genocide.
Vocational education, health and assistance to buy animals and supply are our priorities. Helping these people to once again become independent is the aim.
Host a Party
Hosting a coffee party is a great way to support our cause by selling coffee and raising awareness of our cause.
If you feel moved by the tragedy in Rwanda to help more substantially then this is a great way to encourage others to help through purchase of Rwandan coffee through our web site.
We will send you a kit containing coffee samples and suggest an easy series of steps to help you to share the genocide story. All you need is an espresso coffee machine and an internet connected computer.
The web site is a helpful tool to get the message across and the rest is easy, there is no hard sell, the quality of the product speaks for itself.
