I am writing this from the coworking space of Le Rituel Café, located on KN 51 Street. Earlier today, I spun around Kigali and found out what’s new.

The setup of coworking spaces is one of the new trends that have attracted my attention. Driven by the emergence of digital nomadism and remote work flexibility, these facilities are springing up in Kigali and elsewhere.

As I sip some coffee, I think about all the work done by farmers and other parties involved in its production. Resources invested in the entire supply chain of the product I am savoring are enormous.

It takes three to four years before coffee trees start producing flowers. It is from these flowers that the fruits, commonly known as cherries, appear. The cherries, in turn, take time to ripen — eight months to be precise. Yes, there is a long journey behind every cup of coffee.

In Rwanda, harvesting is done manually. Picking coffee by hand is labor-intensive. After every harvest, pulps are removed and discarded. Pulps are outer layers of cherries, and the act of peeling them off is referred to as pulping. Pulping transforms fruits into beans.

Enough of the coffee stuff. I am here to work on the proposed Tour of Kigali booklet. When ready, the online version of the publication will be available on this platform. As usual, print copies will be donated to selected community libraries through Exposure’s Give Back initiative.