Creating a "coffee culture" in Rwanda

Rwanda Tries To Persuade Its Citizens To Drink The Coffee They Grow

Click on the embedded link above to read the article and see photos on the NPR website.

This article is about coffee consumption in Rwanda. Word count: 605

Before reading:

  

General Knowledge:

• Can you find Rwanda on a map? What do you know about this country?
• What do you know about coffee consumption around the world? How about in your country?

Speculate:

• The Rwandan government wants to increase coffee consumption within the country. What might be the advantages of this?

After reading:

  

Review and discuss:

• Write a 3-4 sentence summary of this article. Begin your summary with "This article is about…".
• In order to increase domestic coffee consumption in Rwanda, what are some of the obstacles that the government must overcome?
• What are some strategies that might encourage more people to drink coffee in Rwanda?
• If coffee consumption does not increase in Rwanda, what will happen in the country if international markets go down?
• We learn in the article that Rwanda's coffee production is connected to its history of colonization, and that this has also affected attitudes about drinking coffee. What are some other ways that colonization might have affected the country?
• In your opinion, what was the most interesting thing mentioned in this article? Why?

Reflect and evaluate:

• How popular is coffee in your country? Do you like to drink it?
• What are your country's main exports? Are these exports also popular within your country? Why or why not?
• Is there anything else you'd like to know about this topic? Do you have any questions that weren't answered in the article?
• What vocabulary words were new to you in this article? Make a record of what you have learned.

Beyond the page

• Find out more about the process of making coffee. This page has step-by-step explanations and photos of how coffee beans are prepared for drinking: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup.
• Find out more about ways that people drink coffee around the world. Look here for an infographic explaining how different coffee drinks are made in different countries: 31 Ways Coffee is Made Around the World. Or look here to see a collection of photographs of different coffee drinks from around the world: Here's How the Rest of the World Drinks Coffee.
• Pop quiz! Where does coffee come from? Make a list of the countries where you think coffee is a major product, then compare your list to this chart: Coffee Producing Countries. 

Also in the news...

• Read about coffee consumption in another African country, Ethiopia, in this article from October, 2014: Boom Times for Ethiopia's Coffee Shops. How does the situation compare with Rwanda? What might explain the differences?

Join the conversation: add your thoughts about this article in the comments section below!