Ethiopia Mrs. Tigest Wako

Importer Notes | Mrs. Tigest Wako was born and raised in Idedo. Her husband, Mr. Abraham, is a pastor in Idedo town and also works in coffee as a supplier. Mrs. Wako inherited her family’s 7.6 hectares farm from her parents. When she inherited the farm, it used to have old varieties of coffees such as Kurume and Dega. Now most of those old varieties have been replaced by new varieties such as 74110 and 74112. One reason her coffees stand out is due to their location. Mrs. Wako’s farm is located in Idedo within the Gedeo zone. This zone is home to the Yirgacheffe town and the Yirgacheffe coffee type. Idedo is one of the two localities that produce the top Yirgacheffe type coffees.

Mrs. Wako is one of the few female landowners in her locality. In the Gedeo’s tradition (an ethnic group where she is from), land inheritance usually goes to male children. Also, the Gedeo zone is one of the most densely populated areas in Africa with average farmland ranging around a hectare. Her 7.6 ha farm makes her one of the few farmers with that size of farm.

As a woman farm owner, she faces challenges from managing daily operations to handling the bureaucratic side of the business. She is a strong respectable woman and is fortunate to have the support of her husband and family. It’s her and her husband’s wish that all of their children can follow their dreams through education.

(Photo credit: Cafe Imports)