Celebrate nearly a decade of partnership with Rwanda’s Ejo Heza women’s co-op and experience their most vibrant crop yet.
Single origin, many hands
We’re so excited to share the release of this year’s Rwanda Ejo Heza crop! This coffee is incredibly special to us at DOCR — we’ve been purchasing from the Ejo Heza women’s producer group for nearly a decade now, only missing a year during the pandemic due to crop and supply challenges.
If you’re not familiar, Ejo Heza is an all-women’s subgroup within the larger Kopakama Cooperative in Rwanda. Kopakama itself was founded in the wake of the Rwandan genocide with the mission of uniting people for the common good and rebuilding a healthy, thriving coffee industry and community. The name Ejo Heza means “brighter tomorrow,” which couldn’t be more fitting.
The subgroup was formed to create even greater opportunities for equity and growth for women specifically — and they’ve since become leaders not only in coffee quality, but in building meaningful, lasting impact at origin.
Longstanding Relationships, Longstanding Impact
We began working with Ruth Ann Church of Artisan Coffee Imports almost ten years ago to bring in this coffee. Ruth Ann, who specializes in sourcing East African coffees and is the founder of Michigan-based Artisan Coffee Imports, has helped ensure that women harvesting this coffee are paid fairly — including added premiums for their work.
Right from the start, I was excited not only about the flavor and quality of the coffee itself, but also about the mission and work behind it. So much so that we’ve brought it in every single year since.
Through Ruth Ann, we also joined a small group of roasters committed to paying additional premiums beyond the cost of coffee to further support infrastructure, education, and gender equity initiatives in the region. That extra bit from each of us might feel small individually, but the combined impact is significant.
Many women in the Ejo Heza group have been able to use their earnings to purchase livestock, household goods, and health insurance for their families — tangible, everyday improvements to quality of life that ripple outward.
Just last year, Ruth Ann visited DOCR’s training lab to present the story of Ejo Heza and Kopakama — sharing updates from the co-op and giving insight into how roasters like us can continue to invest in lasting change. If you were there, you know how inspiring that conversation was. We’re hoping to have her back again soon. Stay tuned.
The Process
This year’s lot is a washed Bourbon variety — depulped using a disk depulper, fermented in water for 12–18 hours, soaked in a separate tank for another 16–24 hours, and then dried on raised beds in the sun.
This washed process allows for a clean, vibrant cup that highlights the natural brightness and florality of the coffee, while the Bourbon variety brings in the sweetness and complexity we’ve come to expect from this group.
Tasting Notes & Brewing Tips
This year’s crop is wildly juicy — even more explosive than previous years, which is saying something. Look for vibrant notes of red grapefruit, peach, and cherry blossom. It reminds us of an expressive Kenyan coffee with its punchy fruit qualities, balanced by delicate florals that tether the cup from juicy to sugar-sweet.
We love this one brewed as a pour over. It’s an ideal spring or summer coffee — crisp, floral, easy to fall for. Let it cool slightly as you sip and notice how it opens up. Each note has space to develop and linger, creating a flavor experience that builds from sip to sip.
Try it at any of our coffee shops brewed to order, or pick up a bag in-store or online to share at home. If you’re a home brewer, check out our recent blog post, The Longer Bloom — Magic or Mischief?, for a full breakdown of our new and improved pour over recipe.
Sharing the stories
Supporting farms and initiatives like Ejo Heza has an impact not only at origin, but in the spaces this coffee is served. Behind every bag is a story of community, progress, and a commitment to a brighter tomorrow — one we’re proud to support, and proud to share with you.
We hope you enjoy this year’s lot and help us continue telling the story of the incredible people behind the cup.
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About the writer: Nate Hamood is the President & Director of Coffee for Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters. He's the one responsible for the very coffee you drink at DOCR — putting his heart and soul into sourcing and sharing origin stories. When not wearing his many hats at DOCR or pacing back and forth with his phone in hand responding to texts and emails, you can find Nate enjoying the simple things in life. Like a well-made cocktail, a punk-rock show, or walking his dog, Lucky, with his beloved wifey, Olivia. Emma LaVoie, DOCR's Education Manager, contributed to this blog.