🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
Page updated: @August 24, 2026
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Contents
Coopérative Agricole Tujenge Kivu is located in the village of Bishange within the Masisi Territory of North Kivu Province, DRC. Established in 2021, Tujenge Kivu was formed by farmers looking to access the international market, improve their coffee processing by creating a communal washing station, and gain more bargaining power to earn better prices for their coffee.
“Our name means ‘Let’s build Kivu’. We founded the cooperative in 2020 to produce the highest quality organic coffee that benefits our farmers and satisfies our consumers.
We take gender equality seriously. Among out 640 members 370 are men and 270 are women. Women participate fully in our decision making: our vice chair is a woman, and so are the majority of our workers.
Our efforts to promote environmental sustainability include producing and planting shade trees and controlling soil erosion through mulching and terracing.
We are very proud to have won third place in the 2026 edition of Best of Congo Cooperatives, with the highest placed lot of fully washed coffee. We are also very excited to have established our partnership with Omwani this year!”
James Bulompfu, Manager, Tujenge Kivu
Location
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yfTQ8WYgPtbffLNTA
History
Tujenge Kivu was created on August 9, 2021, by 15 founding members. Their initial objective was to access local and international markets, increase agricultural profits, and create jobs within their local community. Cultivating coffee in the Masisi highlands and along the shores of Lake Kivu, the cooperative produced and sold 8 tons of coffee in its very first year.
Since then, the cooperative has grown to 600 coffee growers—including 300 who are Rainforest Alliance certified—divided between the Mupfuni Shanga and Buzi groups.
Facilities & Operations
Tujenge Kivu operates two micro-stations in Masisi Territory: Bishange-Luzirandaka and Mupfuni-Shanga, each with pulping and drying equipment. To manage these washing stations and processing operations, the cooperative employs 9 permanent staff members and 10 temporary workers.
At these facilities, the cooperative processes cherry coffee from its members into parchment coffee, which is then milled to produce fully washed and natural K3 and K4 grade coffee. Tujenge Kivu has also constructed coffee nurseries to produce and distribute high-quality coffee seedlings, helping members rejuvenate old plantations and eventually increase production rates.
Over its first five years of operation, Tujenge Kivu has produced an average of 17,699 kg of green coffee annually. While overall production is growing, the cooperative currently exports an average of 870 kg of sorted green coffee per year.
Goals & Community Impact
Ultimately, Tujenge Kivu dreams of an industry where coffee growers are able to achieve true financial autonomy. In the short term though, the cooperative is highly focused on securing international customers and partners so that they can continue to develop their business.
Tujenge Kivu are also eager to provide producers with extensive training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), shade tree seedlings, and new agricultural equipment. For the wider community, the cooperative aims to repair vital agricultural access roads to further stimulate the local economy.
