Partnership Spotlight: Planet Women

With significant challenges for women across the globe that are exacerbated by climate change, there is a great need and value for like-minded organizations to align our efforts. We must work together to deepen our impact and create lasting change.  

Planet Women is a nonprofit that invests in local women and communities that protect forest, water and biodiversity health through grants and leadership programs. 

As two organizations who are powering women-focused conservation and climate solutions, our partnership is a natural fit and a powerful ongoing collaboration. Our programs support professionals and organizations in new ways of leading that benefit people and the planet. 

With support from Planet Women, more than 230 aspiring female entrepreneurs graduated from Kula Project’s 15-month Fellowship Program in November 2023. Through the program, Fellows learn how to grow sustainable coffee businesses, plant native trees, launch new businesses, and diversify their revenue streams, exponentially grow their income, ultimately supporting their children’s education, renovating their homes, and building their businesses.

Why Women?

In Rwanda, 52% of the population lives in extreme poverty, including the majority of Rwanda’s 450,000 coffee farmers. Female coffee farmers in particular face a disproportionate amount of challenges within the sector. Despite carrying an unequally large burden of responsibilities, they are often excluded from decision-making processes and have less access to finance, environmentally sustainable farm materials, training, and leadership opportunities. 

When women have the opportunity to earn income and access finance, gain strategic knowledge and skills, and have the right to make decisions for themselves and their families, the result is more equitable and sustainable livelihood improvements.

Why Coffee?

Consistently one of the top three export cash crops in Rwanda, coffee is grown throughout the country and has the potential to be uniquely impactful in the lives of female farmers. While involving a higher barrier of entry than other crops, coffee is a long term investment that, when cultivated well, can provide a greater return per land size than most others.

Kula’s Approach

One of the reasons why Planet Women has continued to support this fellowship is that Kula focuses on the whole person—not just their income or their profession. Working with local mentors, the fellows build self-confidence and create a vision for their household and their future. They learn about financial literacy, nutrition, family health, and how to step into positions of power at home and at work.

Last year, Kula collected data and feedback from the previous fellowship graduates one year after graduation, including the five women who previously received Planet Women scholarships. Graduates on average experienced a 231% increase in income, 395% increase in savings, and a 116% increase in coffee harvest. Additionally, 53% of graduates have diversified their income by launching new businesses. An incredible 93% of graduates have maintained profitable businesses and on average reported a 364% increase in savings.