Hingakawa

FORGIVENESS IS A CHOICE

On the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Hingakawa tells the story of two women who made the choice to rise above and choose forgiveness. Vestine and Genevieve are best friends—one Tutsi, one Hutu. Once on the opposite sides of war, these women experienced heartbreak in very different ways. Finding common ground through their shared livelihood of coffee, they are no longer each other’s enemy, they are each other’s strength.

This is the Hingakawa coffee co-op, more than 550 women strong, located in the mountainous region of the Gakenke district. Each year, the women bring the coffee they’ve grown to the co-op to be sorted, dried and then sold. As a group, they make business decisions, negotiate for the best prices and support each other. Here, at Hingakawa, they know that they are strongest together.