Thursday, March 1, 2012

Java Jive


As I mentioned before, my high school currently has a group of students in Rwanda. We have been hanging out and traveling with them over the past few days. It's great to be around so much energy and we are always so busy! This will be a brief post that I hope to update later, so check back when you can!

On Tuesday we packed onto the bus and headed south to Butare. This region of the country is well-known for it's coffee trees, one of Rwanda's most prized exports. On my trip in 2009, I learned about the process of producing coffee from tree to cup. For the past few days, I've been revisiting the same sites and hearing familiar stories. 



HU and Woonsockett crews on the scene

On the drying rack

Parchment beans and cherries

Maraba Coffee

Ingenuity! 

Children hanging out with us in the coffee fields

Coffee cherries on the tree! Harvest season starts in April.

Although I am not a coffee drinker myself, I can appreciate the amount of care and time the whole process takes. We met farmers who are devoted to producing a completely organic product. They receive a fair wage and are able to support their families. 

1 comment:

Elena's Mom said...

Hi Elena,
It is great to get news about the Harwood Union High School Group's visit to Rwanda. I'm glad you included links to "Stories of Hope"and Andrea's Blog in your 2/23/12 posting - their entries are insightful and moving! Please encourage your readers to check them out if they haven't already done so! They provide us with a better understanding why your were attracted to this amazing place called Rwanda! Love, Mom