The Role of YouthConnekt, AGRA, Profemmes and RYAF in Developing Coffee-Loving Youth Through Elite Café
There are people who do not wait for opportunities to come their way they create them. They are the kind of people who see a small problem in daily life and turn it into an opportunity to craft a solution that can transform their own lives and those of others. This is how Elite Café was born: out of a journey of love, dreams, and confidence shared by two people who worked in the same place, joined efforts, and built an idea that later became a foundation for the dreams of many young people and a learning space for countless others.
Today, Elite Café is a home where the dreams of young people who want to learn and create jobs in the coffee industry are nurtured. It is a center that trains, educates, and empowers youth to gain knowledge and access opportunities in the labor market through coffee processing and promotion. Its founder, Muhorakeye Annet, is one of the experienced women leading the frontline in promoting the coffee profession and uplifting the lives of those who pursue it.
She says: “Coffee is life, and it is love more than many people think. It started as an idea my husband and I had when we were both baristas. We loved coffee so much that we decided to start a project of serving and processing it. That’s where the idea of establishing a training school came from the school that now teaches the entire journey of coffee, from the farm to the cup.”
Serge Iradukunda, who has been training for three months, says he began simply by enjoying watching others prepare coffee until he eventually embraced it as a profession.
He recounts: “I came to learn coffee because my brother, who studied it before, kept encouraging me to join. At first, things didn’t feel natural, but as days passed, I found myself not wanting to go home after classes because I was falling deeply in love with it.”
Similarly, Sandrine Ange Urusaro, who has been training for two months, says she always loved coffee but never knew how it was made.
She says: “I came because I loved coffee and wanted to understand everything about it from the farm to the cup and here they teach us all of that.”
These young people, like many others who passed through Elite Café, emphasize that the journey of coffee processing is far more complex than what the coffee drinker at the table imagines. It is a craft that demands skill, dedication, and a deep sense of passion.
Some pursue coffee only for profit or prestige, but Nkundira Coffee, the coffee brand by Elite Café was founded on one mission: “Make Rwandans fall in love with their own coffee.”
This is what inspired the “Coffee Hour” initiative, aimed at popularizing quality coffee among Rwandans, including giving out free coffee to the public as a way of introducing them to its value. This is explained by Muhorakeye Annet.
She says: “We offer a free coffee hour so that Rwandans can taste good coffee and feel the love behind it. Once they love it, they become curious, and curiosity draws them closer to coffee.”
In a country with a large youthful population, many of whom hold degrees but struggle to find employment Elite Café became an answer to the problem of unemployment. Here, unemployment is not viewed as destiny but as a classroom for innovation and finding new pathways.
Elite Café is fully certified to operate in Rwanda and works with the Rwanda TVET Board, making its certificates valid both locally and internationally. Many of its graduates are now employed, transforming their own lives and those of their families.
Mbabazi Anitha, now an employee of Elite Café, says: “I studied here for two months, and through their generosity, I got a job and started training others. I was unemployed before, but now I earn my own salary.”
According to Muhorakeye Annet, the fact that their certificates are approved by Rwanda TVET Board gives students an advantage.
She explains: “We are privileged to work with the Rwanda TVET Board, meaning our certificates are fully recognized. So far, 800 students have trained here, and 80% of them are employed both in Rwanda and abroad. About 100 have secured jobs in countries such as Oman, Qatar, and Dubai.”
Elite Café Founder, Muhorakeye Annet, guiding youth on how to produce high-quality coffee that meets global standards
She also expresses gratitude to the Government of Rwanda and other partners who have supported their journey, including YouthConnekt who awarded them a prize and partners such as AGRA, Profemme, and RYAF.
She says: “We wouldn’t have achieved this without the support of our country. YouthConnekt gave us 25 million Rwandan francs, which helped us buy machines for roasting and processing coffee. AGRA has been a strong partner they visit, support us in various ways, especially through their ‘Value for Her’ project. I am also part of Profemme and RYAF initiatives, all aimed at empowering youth. This support motivates me to help others the same way I have been helped.”
In 2024, Rwanda produced 21,295 tons of coffee, with only 5% consumed domestically.
Between 2024–2025, compared to 2023–2024, Rwanda’s coffee production increased by 25%, reaching 21,295 tons, while national revenue grew from USD 78.7 million to USD 116.1 million a 48% increase.
Serge and Sandrine, two of the trainees, sharing how their growing passion for coffee is transforming their life paths
Graduates of Elite Café who have secured jobs in Rwanda and abroad, proof that skills create sustainable opportunities.
Elite Café trainees during hands-on sessions, exploring the full journey of coffee from the bean to the cup
