Coffee with a Story: Why the Democratic Republic of the Congo Needs Us
Photo credit panzifoundation.org
By Danielle Robidoux, Equal Exchange Citizen-Consumer Organizer
A few weeks ago, Equal Exchange organized a virtual event in collaboration with the Panzi Hospital. The sheer quantity of attendees spoke volumes about how deeply our supporters care about the disturbing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We came together to talk about the conflict, the current realities on the ground, and how the Panzi Hospital is truly a beacon of light for the healing that is needed in the DRC.
At Equal Exchange, we believe in the power of solidarity through trade, but products have always been secondary. Our ongoing goal is to take a really deep look at the conventional systems that exist and ask ourselves, “How can we make it better?” By virtue of being human, we at Equal Exchange believe that we have a shared responsibility to take care of people and the planet. This article will explore the injustice and conflict happening in the DRC right now, how our long-term partnership with Panzi Hospital continues to evolve, and what small steps we can take, beyond being consumers, to support the work of Panzi Hospital as they serve these communities on the ground in their time of greatest need.
Map of D.R. Congo showing M23 rebel group clashes, 2023-24 panzifoundation.org
Conflict fueled by global consumption
The crisis in the DRC isn’t new. Since the 1990s, the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu have been plagued by brutal violence. What makes the conflict especially devastating is the widespread, systematic use of rape as a weapon of war, as Dr. Mukwege so eloquently voiced in this NY Times piece. Armed groups use sexual violence to control communities and break them apart—physically, emotionally, and socially.
Today, the stakes are even higher. A rebel group known as M23 has intensified its hold over the region, seizing cities like Goma and Bukavu, one of the places where the Panzi Hospital operates. With an estimated 400,000 people displaced in the first few months of 2025 alone, the need for care, stability, and justice has never been greater.
What fuels this conflict is not just geography, but global demand and consumption. The region is rich in minerals like coltan, tungsten, and gold—materials used to make our smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices. As consumers, we’re part of this story, whether we realize it or not. While we may not be able to avoid technology, we have to take responsibility and start asking ourselves how our decisions and purchases impact people around the world.
Photo right, Dr. Denis Mukwege, photo credit panzifoundation.org
Panzi Hospital & the road to healing
Founded by Dr. Denis Mukwege, Panzi Hospital has become internationally known for its groundbreaking work in providing holistic care to survivors of sexual violence. Dr. Mukwege won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018. He and his team treat so much more than just physical wounds. While they initially focused on medical care, it became clear that more was necessary, leading to their four-pillared approach.
At Panzi, healing is rooted in four pillars:
Medical Care
Including complex gynecological surgeries and maternal health
Psychosocial Support
Trauma counseling, safe housing, individual & group therapy, art & music therapy
Legal Assistance
Helping survivors pursue justice and forensic evidence collection, if requested
Socioeconomic Reintegration
Literacy training, vocational training, and financial assistance
These services are offered completely free of charge, and Panzi’s “one-stop center” model allows survivors to access everything they need in one place. It’s dignified, community-led care that helps people rebuild—not just survive.
Over 83,000 survivors have been treated at Panzi since 1999. But with recent escalations and the occupation of Bukavu by M23, the hospital is now operating under extreme uncertainty.
The Congo Coffee Project
In 2011, Equal Exchange launched the Congo Coffee Project in partnership with the Panzi Foundation. The idea was simple and came out of a conversation at a coffee shop, as many revolutionary ideas do, between the co-founder of the project, Beth Ann Caspersen, Coffee Quality Manager at Equal Exchange, and Jonathan Rosenthal, co-founder of Equal Exchange. As Beth Ann began to learn about the conflict, she started asking and thinking about how Equal Exchange could use our role in the coffee supply chain to help.
At the time, Equal Exchange was not sourcing coffee from the DRC. However, through relationships with co-ops like SOPACDI and Muungano, Equal Exchange began importing beans and building capacity with farmers in the region. Beth Ann traveled to the DRC multiple times to lead cupping trainings, identify quality issues, and help co-ops better understand the specialty market.
Photos top left, Beth Ann visits the aftercare center and meets with her hero Mama Zawadi; top right, Beth Ann with SOPACDI’s coffee cuppers during a quality training; bottom, before and after photos showing the construction of the laboratory and aftercare center at the Bulenga One-Stop Center. Photo credit panzifoundation.org
Since then, $1 from every bag of Organic Congo Coffee Project sold has gone directly to support Panzi Hospital and its network of clinics, including the Bulenga One-Stop Center, located near SOPACDI farming communities.
Construct a laboratory to enable diagnostic testing
Build water tanks for clean drinking water and sanitation
Support vocational training at the Maison Dorcas aftercare center
Provide aftercare and transitional housing for survivors
Since the project began, we’ve raised over $145,000—small compared to global aid budgets, but this work has been meaningful, direct, and community-driven.
Let’s be clear, buying coffee isn’t going to fix the war in the DRC. It isn’t going to dismantle systemic violence or guarantee safety for Panzi’s staff and patients. But it is one step that Equal Exchange can take because we are here to do more than just buy and sell coffee. This is about justice, and we have to do more than buy coffee to find it.
A tense and tender moment
Today, Panzi’s clinics remain open, but the staff are working under occupation. Women, it is speculated, may be too afraid to seek care in the current circumstances. Many survivors are out of reach entirely. Dr. Mukwege continues to advocate, and Panzi will continue to think about succession planning in the long term. The team is still operating, performing surgeries, running their mobile clinics, and documenting and reporting what’s happening, knowing justice may continue to take decades.
As Beth Ann reminded us during the event, this is “a really critical time to get together and talk about it, understand what's happening, and share that with others.”
What you can do
We don’t all have the same means or access, but we all have the opportunity to do something. Here’s how you can take action right now:
Donate & learn more about Panzi’s work. Explore their site to learn how Panzi is protecting survivors, advocating for justice, and building a better system of care for the DRC.
Buy coffee & support the Congo Coffee Project. Buying a bag of Organic Congo Coffee won’t solve the crisis, but it’s a way to fund tangible infrastructure, support ethical supply chains, and keep this story visible.
Read Dr. Mukwege’s New York Times op-ed, “Congo Is Bleeding. Where Is the Outrage?”
Share the story. Tell a friend. Share this article and Dr. Mukwege’s op-ed. Host a coffee gathering and serve Organic Congo Coffee. Post about what you’ve learned.
Attend an Equal Exchange event, from virtual webinars to in-person gatherings like our annual June Summit.
Join our Citizen-Consumer community as we build a better food system, together.
We are not powerless. We are all interconnected. We all eat food and consume goods every day. How can we question our choices as consumers to support an independent food system? How can we hold ourselves accountable to keep sharing and raising awareness about injustices going on around our planet?
The violence in the DRC may not be in our backyard, but I am pretty sure folks will not stop using their smartphones or drinking coffee anytime soon. The products you buy and consume connect you to farmers, co-ops, Equal Exchange, and each other every day.
Let’s keep the conversation going. We hope to hear from you.