1. Washing station History (Kavugangoma)
Founder and Author: Richard Kaderi
It was in 1993, just after leaving High School, when the war started in Burundi. I then left
for South Africa where I went to pursue and complete certification in Maritime Studies.
Following, I went to the USA to further my studies. I went to work in various countries
around the world but was longing for peace to return to Burundi. When political stability
was announced, I returned to Burundi to follow my dream of setting up a Coffee Bean
Washing Station and sourcing the very best organically grown, single origin coffee to be
sold globally at a fair price, and to ensure fair trade between the farmer and the buyer.
Coffee farming was always a part of our family business. In 1932, my grandfather
introduced coffee to the region where I was born and raised.
Because coffee was always my family business ( my grandfather introduced coffee in my
area in 1932 after his studies in Butare in Rwanda (Astrida then a Belgium school) I decided
to promote coffee with the target to produce the highest quality which can be sold in
international market at a good price and as an environmental justice activist I had to take
lots things in consideration especially when it comes to protect our environment.
During my investigation some farmers told me that they use to walk ten to twenty miles to
get to the nearest washing station where they could wait more than 12 hours before their
cherries could be received by washing station staff, they told me as well they used to get
beaten up while they were waiting in ques.
On the 11th
February 2008, I started building this washing station in the North-East of
Burundi at my birth place in the Muyinga Province, in the Mwakiro commune . Our product
is: AKAVUGANGOMA COFFEE the name comes from the washing station located on the
Kavugangoma hill, which means the sound of the drums. In Burundi Tradition all the drums
were made from a tree called Umuvugangoma and from the kingdom era they use to plant
these types of trees in this area. The washing station took me 4 years to finish.
Whilst building, I started planting coffee on my 20 hectare plot where I only use organic
fertilizers with lots of shade trees in between whilst introducing the honey project and help
the coffee for polarization, planting trees along roads, rehabilitating rural roads in
partnership with a world food program and helping to build schools building. Burundi has
18 provinces, now divided into around 130 communes and around 3000 collines.
Around 18 collines surrounding my washing station supply me all the cherries. some
people told me that the quality could be different a bit due to their altitudes, soils and they
way the plantations are managed and the distance the cherries has to travel to get to my
washing station. For this reason, I started processing cherries separately by collines with
similar characteristics. With this system the cherries are collected fresh and quickly
transferred to my washing station for quality control. We are currently in the process of
certification. Two years ago we achieved 3rd
spot worldwide by (Soil and More), an
independent Soil, Water and Emissions analyses company from Holland. Test results

2. showed that the washing station was nearly footprint free since very low emissions are
expelled at our washing station except for the pulping motor and when our coffee has to
go to the port with a truck, otherwise most of our cherries are brought in by bicycles and
we use solar energy for our lighting. Official reports attached will show how clean the
water is that is used at the processing station – see PDF attachment. The pulp gathered
from the coffee cherries are used as fertilizers for the plantation.
This washing station (Kavugangoma), is a one-of-a-kind in the country with lots of trees
and coffee farms around it. Several flowers and fruits trees are continuously planted to
attract birds and bees for its natural and organic fertilizer.
The washing station has three main innovations:
 Environmental Latrines:
Used for workers and visitors. They are double chambers and the phreatic nape are
protected, is very clean and have comfortable seats. They are build to last forever and
water is not needed at all. Both urine and faecal matter is collected regularly to be used as
fertilizer for the coffee farm.
 Gravity Water:
The coffee is washed by clean water from the mountain surrounding the washing station
and both workers and visitors use this water for their daily needs. The water is brought in
from around 3 km.
 Filtration and Recycle System:
Installation of the best filtration and recycle system for all the dirty and used water to
protect all the people living around the washing station and in particular the environment
in general.
As the sole owner of this business, I manage my company fairly well without outside
interference. It can be very challenging to get pre-finance for my farmers, non-the-less we
have a mutually beneficial relationship. These farmers will harvest the best coffee cherries
with the result that I produce the best single origin Arabica coffee Africa has to offer. For
the past years we have been contribute to building public infrastructures for the
community and helping our farmers with small loans for their home needs like cement,
roofing sheets ,fertilizers, school material for their children and so on....
African Promotion Company (Ruvubu Coffee is the subsidiary company in South Africa) has
gained a reputation for producing probably the best quality coffee in the country and pays
more money to his farmers compared to other operators in the country.
His Excellency, the president of Burundi, Nkurunziza Peter has recognized our ability to
develop the country through a sustainable rural development program from his visit to our
factory. Other high profile political officials include government Ministers who expressed
their appreciation for my contribution toward building the community in which I live and
work. In July 2013 the Africa Coffee Association (AFCA) nominated my company as the
company of the month and in 2015 our coffee received the Cup of Excellence award.

3. Currently we have lot of long term projects, in particular for our farmers and the country in
general.
Last year I was elected to lead the Provincial Coffee Washing Station Alliance and busy
promoting the use of organic fertilizers especially in my province and the country, as well
as planting shade trees in most of the coffee plantations.
Laying the foundation stone of a washing station
Shall develop work for a public school work for a public school
Progress of construction of a washing station work for a public school

4. Experts demostrating the construction of environmental latrines
Sewage treatment tank..... Overview of kavugangoma washing station
Meeting for coffee farmers with Richard Kaderi in fields Payment of coffee farmers with their cards in hands

5. Covered pulp pit Soaking tubs
Visit of the President, Richard KADERI. showing all the view of the washing station,
Environmental latrines facility Kavugangoma, explaining how the urine retention tray works
Burundi President visits Richard’s office in Mwakiro

6. Burundi President presents Richard Kaderi with a certificate of merit for Best Entrepreneur of 2013
Burundi Minister of Agriculture on The chief of the washing station
her way to the washing station explains the washing process to the minister
Minister with Richard Kaderi in the
coffee bean warehouse

7. Coffee Bean Process
1 2 3
Coffee field with green cherries Manual selection of cherries Weighing the cherries
4. 5.
pulping the cherries Clean water used at washing station on wet fermentation
6. 7.
washing and grading canal soaking tanks

8. 8. 9.
Pre-drying and parchment sortings Taking wet parchment to the drying table
10. 11.
Special care of quality parchment (drying heap) Drying parchment on the table
12.
Kavugangoma washing station parchment warehouse

9. 13. 14. 15.
Unloading and moisture Truck leaving the mill after BUDECA milling factory green
analysis of parchment coffee dropping off the parchment coffee bean warehouse
To the factory BUDECA
16. 17.
Hand picking green coffee Truck leaving the milling station en-route to sea port for export