London – Rwanda’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Johnston Busingye, recently visited Change Please, where he met representatives of Change Please and the Aegis Trust and learned more about a partnership bringing Rwandan coffee from Muyumbu to consumers and businesses across the United Kingdom.

During the visit, the High Commissioner was taken through Change Please’s operations and its approach to combining commercial activity with social impact. He also learned about the journey of coffee sourced from Rwanda, from the farmers who produce it in Muyumbu to its roasting, distribution and supply to customers across the UK.

The coffee forms part of Change Please’s Farms to Futures initiative, through which the social enterprise sources speciality coffee from Rwanda while seeking to create positive impact throughout the value chain.

The partnership highlights how Rwanda’s high-quality agricultural products are finding new opportunities in the UK market while supporting livelihoods and strengthening links between producers and businesses in both countries.

Speaking during the visit, Johnston Busingye, High Commissioner of Rwanda to the United Kingdom, said:

“It is encouraging to see Rwandan coffee from Muyumbu reaching consumers and businesses here in the UK through a partnership that puts both quality and impact at its heart. This is a practical example of the growing commercial links between Rwanda and the UK and the opportunities created when businesses build meaningful relationships with Rwandan producers.

“We want to see more partnerships of this kind, expanding market access, supporting livelihoods and demonstrating the quality and potential of Rwandan products.”

Rwanda continues to position coffee as an important export product, with a growing focus on quality, value addition and stronger connections between producers and international markets. Partnerships linking Rwandan suppliers directly with UK businesses can contribute to this ambition while strengthening the wider trade relationship.

For Change Please, the partnership also connects producers at origin with its wider social-impact model. The organisation uses its coffee business to support people experiencing homelessness through training, employment and other forms of assistance.

Ken Love, Managing Director of Change Please, said:

“We were delighted to welcome His Excellency to Change Please HQ. People know us for helping those experiencing homelessness into barista training and employment, but our responsibility starts with the farmers and communities who grow our beans.

“Through Farms to Futures, coffee from Muyumbu connects producers in Rwanda with the lives being rebuilt here in the UK. Every cup supports livelihoods in Rwanda while helping create jobs in the UK.”

The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the role that sustainable livelihoods, responsible business and economic opportunity can play in strengthening communities.

Dr James Smith, Founder of the Aegis Trust, said:

“Lasting peace depends on economic opportunity. That is why we established Champion Humanity Trading to complement Aegis Trust’s peace education by improving livelihoods in the communities where we work.

“We are delighted to partner with Change Please. We share a belief that trade can address social challenges, creating impact from Rwanda to the UK.”

The High Commissioner welcomed the work already underway and encouraged continued engagement between Rwandan producers and British businesses, highlighting the potential for coffee and other Made in Rwanda products to contribute further to the commercial relationship between Rwanda and the UK.

The visit concluded with a shared commitment to continue exploring opportunities for collaboration, expanding market links and ensuring that growing trade and cooperation deliver meaningful benefits for businesses and communities in both countries.