Indescribable actions of hate were fueled by years of ethnic tension, a division created by European colonists that chose to pit Rwandan Hutu and Tutsis against each other in an effort to control the country from within.

Ethnic Tutsis, comprising approximately 14% of the population, enjoyed a privileged status in Rwanda during the period of colonization. The Hutus however, were considered to be of lower status and lived in the shadow of their Tutsi neighbors.

The division of the two people groups came to a head when Rwanda became an independent nation in 1962, and the once downtrodden Hutu majority assumed power, swapping roles with the Tutsi minority. What followed was a 30-year hate campaign that led to ethnic cleansing and thousands of Rwandan Tutsi seeking refuge in both nearby African countries and the West.

The 1994 genocide that left so many innocent people either dead, orphaned, or widowed has now become the focal point of the global community.

In the wake of civil war, Rwanda made a commitment to national restoration. The government called upon the Church to lead the country in reconciliation and asked the outside world to support them as it looked to heal and eradicate poverty, disease, and illiteracy.

In 2001, the founder of Land of a Thousand Hills recognized a simple and tangible opportunity to make a difference in the reconciliation of the Rwandan people. The introduction of Specialty Coffee to the healing fields of Rwanda proved to be an uncommon opportunity for once warring countrymen to not only rebuild their homesteads, but to work together toward lasting peace.

A commitment to excellence in coffee has brought dignity and hope to a nation that history suggested would never recover. A message of forgiveness is spreading through the hills of Rwanda, and by drinking Rwandan coffee, you promote justice in a place where injustice once reigned. Drink Coffee Do Good.