Real talk: Coffee is more than a ritual—it’s a lifeline for millions in East Africa, yet women who grow it are often left out of the profits. Margaret Nyamumbo saw this firsthand growing up on her grandfather’s coffee farm in rural Kenya, where women did the labor but owned little land. Now, she’s flipping the script with Kahawa 1893, a brand that’s not just selling coffee but reimagining how the industry empowers women.
Nyamumbo’s journey from Wall Street to coffee farms is a masterclass in purpose. After earning an MBA from Harvard and working in finance, she returned to Kenya, where she noticed a stark reality: despite Kenya’s 1:1 gender ratio, only 1% of land titles go to women. Yet 89% of subsistence farming and 70% of cash crop labor is done by women. “The coffee we exported was just a commodity,” she says. “We didn’t know where it went or who benefited.” That ignorance sparked Kahawa 1893, a brand built to spotlight women producers and rebuild the supply chain.
The company’s approach is both innovative and practical. Through partnerships with cooperatives in Kenya, Rwanda, and Congo, Kahawa sources beans while funding community projects. In Kisii, women invested in a corn mill to cut travel time for meals; in Rwanda, goats became assets for income and milk; in Congo, disaster relief funds rebuilt homes after floods. These aren’t charity—they’re investments in women’s agency. “The women run the fund,” Nyamumbo explains. “They decide how to use the money, whether it’s scholarships, tools, or healthcare.”
Kahawa also leverages demand to elevate women’s value. By marketing single-origin coffees and creating premium blends like “African Spice,” the brand ensures women’s labor commands higher prices. Fortune 500 companies now serve Kahawa in their offices, proving that ethical sourcing isn’t just a trend—it’s a business model.
By centering women in every step of the supply chain, from farming to profit-sharing, the brand is rewriting the rules.
Key takeaway: Kahawa 1893 proves that coffee can be a tool for equity. By centering women in every step of the supply chain, from farming to profit-sharing, the brand is rewriting the rules. The takeaway? When you choose coffee with purpose, you’re not just sipping—You’re supporting a movement.
What if every cup you drink could fund a scholarship, a mill, or a rebuilt home? How would you want to see your coffee impact the world?
Questions & Answers
How does Kahawa 1893 empower women?
Kahawa 1893 empowers women by giving them land ownership, fair wages, and leadership roles in coffee farming, transforming them from laborers to stakeholders in the industry.
What inspired Margaret Nyamumbo to start Kahawa 1893?
Margaret Nyamumbo was inspired by seeing women do the labor on coffee farms but own little land, prompting her to create a brand focused on equity and women’s empowerment in the coffee industry.
Information sourced from industry reports and news outlets.
