I've been behind with my blog updates because we've been so busy so I apologize for not adding as much detail to my posts as I'd like.
On Monday I met with foreign entrepreneurs that have moved to Kigali to set up investments. In the morning, our group spent time with Matt and James, both from the US, who run a large coffee distribution company that sells Rwandan coffee around the world. It was incredible to see the process that a coffee bean goes through before going to market and what surprised me most was the difference between a quality bean and a “bean” used for low quality grocery store brands.
The picture above shows the hundreds of women who are part of quality control. They work seasonally and hand pick the best beans, each day going through one full bag of beans.
I also met with a Spanish woman who moved to Kigali two years ago to expand her clothing business. Ines and her partner, Mark, have employed Rwandans in fair conditions and provide them with an opportunity to create clothing that integrates muted colours that are popular in North America and Europe with bright, bold colours and patterns used in Africa countries. The result, award winning clothing that is sold around the world. Ines and Mark have registered for the 2011 Bigger Future workshop series through Global Relief and Development Partners.
While we’ve been here we’ve had an opportunity to experience some incredible meals. As Kigali grows more and more new and trendy restaurants open. We’ve had some traditional Rwandan dishes, but also pizza, Indian food, and a lot of chips (French fries) – since they come with everything!
