Where It All Started, Solar Lamps, Goats and Pruning Shears

Every story has a first chapter. Ours wasn't a plantation or a building. It was a solar lamp, a pruning saw, a goat and a mattress. 

In the 2017/18 financial year, St Remio funded its very first impact project in Rwanda, with the female farming cooperative of TUK. It was small, practical and close to the ground, and it shaped everything that came after.

How the program worked

Our first project supported an established initiative called the Premium Rewards Sharing Program. Through it, the women of TUK earn points and trade them in for the resources they actually need. Rather than deciding for them, the program lets the farmers choose. St Remio funded the program, and the women put those funds to work.

What the funding bought, and why it mattered

• Agricultural tools. Pruning shears, pruning saws and sprayers helped improve both the quality and quantity of the coffee, and helped control pests and disease.
• Livestock. Goats and rabbits meant extra income from selling their offspring, organic manure for the coffee plots, and better nutrition for families.
• Solar lamps. Most of the farmers had no electricity at home. The lamps let women walk home safely, replaced costly petrol lamps, and gave children light to study by at night.
• Mattresses. A better night's sleep, and protection for families from diseases that come up from the ground.
• Fabrics. Better quality, more comfortable clothing, and a real boost to the women's confidence.

None of these are headline-grabbing. All of them changed daily life.

What came next

That first year set the tone for how St Remio works. Listen to what growers need. Fund it directly. Keep showing up.

The next year, we fully funded a coffee cupping lab for TUK, so the women could roast and taste their own coffee for the first time. Read the cupping lab story. From 2019, our partnership grew to include the women of the Cocagi cooperative, starting with 12,000 new coffee plants. Follow their path from seedling to first harvest.

Why small things matter

80% of the world's coffee farmers live below the poverty line. Change at that scale can feel out of reach. But it starts with things like a lamp that gets someone home safely, or a tool that makes a harvest better. That's what investing in growers looks like, not charity, but practical support that builds over time.

See every year of the project, from 2017 to today, on our Our Projects page.

Shop St Remio coffee and be part of the next chapter.

Follow the project as it grows on our Instagram and TikTok.

One Bean. One Cup. One Community.®