Coffee growers of Rwanda

Coffee is one of the major exports from Rwanda.  Coffee berries are a relatively common sight in the hills around Kigali. 

Women (why is it always women) grind the berries with a stone, to separate the shells  (flesh?) from the beans.  

The result is a mess, literally.

Other women would pick the beans from the mess.  

The result is the raw, white beans.  

Given the exorbitant price for a decent cup of coffee, one would think that coffee growers should be rich.  Why, then, do the coffee growers live in mud houses, eat potatoes and cassava, and walk everywhere, …

while the coffee shop owners, dealers and exporters live in mansion, eat steaks and lobsters, and drive fancy cars? 

I was asked yesterday by a student why I am anti-establishment.  Perhaps this is why. 

My question for my students is: having seen the injustices of the world, what are we going to do about it?  Do we ignore it, complain or despair?  Or do we do something positive and constructive about it?  This is why we are in service-learning.  This is why we are in Rwanda.