Kahawatu Burundi ASBL

What Kahawatu Burundi ASBL does

Kahawatu Foundation is a Swiss-registered non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 2013 by Sucafina to improve the livelihoods of smallholder coffee communities in East Africa. Operating through parallel entities in Switzerland (Geneva headquarters at Place de Saint-Gervais 1) and Burundi, with country offices in Rwanda and Uganda established in 2016 and 2018 respectively, the foundation delivers a unified program built on three pillars: Professionalize Farmers (Good Agricultural Practices training, agronomy support), Improve Wellbeing (nutrition, water, health, sanitation education), and Build Confidence (gender equality, mindset change). Its core programs include GAP training for smallholder coffee farmers, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) for financial inclusion, women's associations for economic empowerment, and Income-Generating Activities (IGAs) to diversify household income beyond coffee.

The foundation operates as a community-led go-to-market, co-designing programs with farmers and delivering them through a field network of country representatives, agronomists, farmer trainers, and lead farmers. It does not charge beneficiaries for services; instead, it is funded through donor programs and corporate partnership contributions from institutional donors (USAID, SDC, GIZ, ICU) and coffee-sector partners (Sucafina, Nestlé, Starbucks, Illy, JDE Peet's, Blue Bottle Coffee, Rwacof, Rikolto, TechnoServe, IDH, Farm Africa). Sucafina, the founding sponsor, retains structural ties through annual operating budget contributions and Board leadership (CEO Nicolas A. Tamari serves as Board President).

Since inception, the foundation reports training 100,000+ farmers in GAP, supporting 800,000+ coffee community members, establishing 1,266 VSLAs, initiating 50 women's groups, and supporting 1,538 income-generating activities across Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. It operates with a lean team of 17 staff across Geneva, Nairobi, Kigali, Bujumbura, Ngozi, and Kayanza, and runs projects in collaboration with implementing partners such as TechnoServe (Burundi Better Coffee Initiative), Rikolto International, and 100 Weeks. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-community; the foundation has no commercial product, pricing model, or revenue-generating transaction with beneficiaries.

Name

Kahawatu Burundi ASBL

Legal name

Kahawatu Foundation

Website

https://kahawatu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kahawatu Foundation is a Swiss-registered NGO that improves livelihoods of smallholder coffee communities in Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda through Good Agricultural Practices training, Village Savings and Loan Associations, women's empowerment, and income-generating activities, funded by institutional donors and coffee-sector partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Development and Community Livelihoods Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

Keywords

• Coffee farmer training
• Agricultural development programs
• Rural community development
• Financial inclusion services
• Gender equality programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Funding and Grants: Kahawatu Foundation raises funds through donor programs and partnerships to implement projects supporting coffee farming communities. The foundation receives funding from various institutional donors, corporations, and development organizations.
2. Corporate Partnership Contributions: Sucafina contributes part of Kahawatu's operating budget annually. The foundation also partners with companies like Nestlé, Starbucks, Illy, JDE, and others who provide funding and support for coffee community programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kahawatu Foundation is a non-profit NGO that co-designs and delivers community development programs for coffee farming households in Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its core offerings include Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), Women's Associations, Income-Generating Activities (IGAs), Gender Equality and Wellbeing education, and Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy training — all provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through donor grants and corporate partner contributions.

Product overview

Kahawatu Foundation is an NGO, not a technology company. It operates as a single, unified program focused on improving livelihoods of coffee communities in East Africa through three pillars: Professionalize Farmers (GAP training, agronomy support), Improve Wellbeing (health, nutrition, education), and Build Confidence (gender equality, mindset change). The organization delivers programs including GAP training, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), Women's Associations, Income-Generating Activities (IGAs), and entrepreneurship training. These programs work together to empower coffee farmers with agricultural knowledge, financial inclusion tools, and economic opportunities to achieve sustainable livelihoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Training Agricultural training program for smallholder coffee farmers on professional farming practices including pruning, mulching, pest and disease management, and harvesting techniques to improve productivity, quality, and socioeconomic resilience. Beneficiary farmers are reached free of charge across Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.
• Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) Financial inclusion program that establishes savings groups enabling coffee farmers to save money collectively and access fair loans for managing farms and households; acts as a delivery mechanism for financial literacy training within farming communities.
• Women's Associations Program Program that forms and supports women's groups in coffee communities to advance economic empowerment, access to land and credit, and participation in household decision-making; group-based platform for GAP, entrepreneurship, and gender equality training.
• Income-Generating Activities (IGAs) Program supporting diverse income sources beyond coffee, including livestock farming, soap-making, banana wine production, tailoring, and other small businesses, to supplement coffee farming income and improve household resilience.
• Gender Equality and Wellbeing Programs Educational programs on nutrition, water, health, sanitation, and gender equality to enhance quality of life for coffee community members and their families.
• Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Training programs on business skills, money management, and entrepreneurship that help coffee farmers develop sustainable small businesses and diversify household income.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ farmers trained in Good Agricultural Practices since 2013
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SucafinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Sucafina initiated Kahawatu Foundation in 2013 to provide agricultural services to farmers after Burundi's government privatized coffee assets. Nicolas A. Tamari, CEO of Sucafina, is President of Kahawatu's Board. Sucafina contributes part of Kahawatu's operating budget annually and serves as the offtaker in the supply chain.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed on Kahawatu Foundation's What We Do page. CRS is a humanitarian organization that may collaborate on development programs for coffee communities.
• Farm AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment organization focused on agriculture and natural resource management, partnering with Kahawatu on coffee community programs.
• GIZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman development agency working on sustainable development projects, listed as a partner of Kahawatu Foundation.
• IDH (Sustainable Trade Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDH brings companies, governments, and civil society together to accelerate and scale sustainable trade, partnering with Kahawatu on coffee sustainability programs.
• IllycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian coffee company and founding board member Anna Illy serves on Kahawatu's board, indicating a strategic partnership in the coffee sector.
• NestlécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor food and beverage company with Nestlé Zoégas project supporting VSLAs, livestock programs, and farmer training in Rwanda.
• StarbuckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal coffee company listed as a partner, indicating collaboration on coffee community development programs.
• TechnoservecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for USDA Food for Progress Burundi Better Coffee Initiative, working with Kahawatu's 38 farmer trainers and agronomists on a 2-year training program for 14,000+ farmers.
• Blue Bottle CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialty coffee company partnering on a project in Burundi facilitating 139 VSLAs and providing school materials to over 3,500 children from coffee farming families.
• Nestlé ZoégascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to set up 217 VSLAs with 5,865 members and 11 IGAs supporting 321 farmers, plus 170 individual farmers setting up small businesses in Rwanda.
• RwacofcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rwacof and 100 Weeks to support 750 farmers through coffee tree renovation training and distribution of pruning saws, with 116,650+ aged coffee trees stumped.
• 100 WeekscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Rwanda working with Rwacof and Kahawatu to support farmers through training and resources.
• Rikolto InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to train 4,300+ farmers on reproductive health and support 31 VSLAs with cash and livestock investment in Rwanda.
• JDE Peet'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal coffee company listed as a partner supporting coffee community development programs.
• Search for Common GroundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeace-building organization partnering on coffee community programs.
• FEI (Foundation for Environmental Initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental foundation partnering on sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): Large international humanitarian and development agency that partners with Kahawatu on coffee community programs; comparable in implementing-NGO model but operates across far broader sectors and geographies.
• IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative: Multi-stakeholder sustainable-trade platform convening roasters, donors, and producers on coffee sustainability — partners with Kahawatu and competes for the same corporate sustainability budgets.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German development agency implementing sustainable agriculture and rural development programs globally, listed as a Kahawatu partner; competes for bilateral funding and operates at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Farm Africa: UK-based NGO focused on smallholder agriculture and natural resource management in East Africa, partnering with Kahawatu on coffee community programs and serving similar farming populations.
• Heifer International: International NGO working with smallholder farmers on livestock, income diversification, and gender equity — closely comparable to Kahawatu's IGA, women's-empowerment, and VSLA programming.
• Technoserve: International NGO that co-implements USDA Food for Progress Burundi Better Coffee Initiative with Kahawatu, training smallholder coffee farmers on agronomy and supply-chain practices in East Africa.
• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Netherlands-based development NGO running inclusive agriculture and youth employment programs in East Africa; directly comparable in mission, donor mix, and smallholder-agriculture focus.
• Rikolto International: Belgian NGO running sustainable coffee and food systems programs, partnering with Kahawatu in Rwanda on VSLAs and reproductive health — directly comparable in mission, geography, and donor base.

Emerging players

• 100 Weeks: Smaller NGO partnering with Kahawatu and Rwacof on coffee-farmer income support in Rwanda; comparable in mission but operates at meaningfully smaller scale.

Others

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster partnering with Kahawatu on Burundi VSLAs and school programs; not a peer NGO but a corporate donor/buyer relationship that illustrates the company's roaster-partnership channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kahawatu-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kahawatu Burundi ASBL