Our partnership with Kula 

In Kayonza, Rwanda, women face challenges finding income-generating activities after the coffee harvest season ends, preventing them from graduating from traditional school, which then drastically reduces the number of career opportunities to earn a living. Today, the Liddy Women’s Center allows young women and daughters of coffee farmers to gain profitable and valuable skills through the Kula Fellowship that will provide income year-round. Through reflection on their previous Fellowship Programs, Kula Project discovered a need to establish businesses that generate income outside of the coffee harvest season and outside of the coffee industry in general. Through the provision of the Kula Fellowship at the Liddy Women’s Center, Kula aims to increase the opportunities available to the women in this community and the confidence it takes to pursue them.

In partnership with One Day’s Wages, Kula built the capacity of 46 Rwandan women by providing personal development education and business training for sustainable income. After years of working in Rwanda coffee communities, the Kula Project designed the Kula Fellowship Program. The Kula Fellowship Program is a 15-month comprehensive and holistic effort to support the next generation of entrepreneurs in Rwanda. Kula provides access to industry-specific training and personal development services through five key steps: relationship building, industry training, life and leadership skills, business investment, impact measurement, and post-graduation follow-up. As Artisan Fellows, these 46 women learned all the necessary skills to graduate from the program at a professional level of tailoring and had the opportunity to receive business investment in the form of their own sewing machine–allowing them to thrive in their agribusinesses.