Bernard Uwitije, the visionary behind Bwenda, grew up in Nyamagabe, Southern Rwanda—an area where coffee is a significant agricultural product. His journey in coffee began with trading locally processed beans, but he quickly saw the potential for something greater.
In 2018, Bernard founded Bwenda after noticing that a group of isolated farmers lacked access to a nearby washing station for high-quality coffee processing. The first season at Bwenda saw the processing of just one container of cherries. Since then, Bernard has been developing various programs to support the farmers who supply Bwenda, offering extension services while also working to expand the wet mill's capacity.