Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Dumerso

Dumerso washing station is located near the town of Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. It’s about 388 km from the capital Addis Ababa. Many small farms from the surrounding area contribute to their locally owned, family-run mill. The washing station is run and owned by Hirut Berhanu.

In Dumerso, coffee is the primary industry. More than 90% of the people in the region are involved in coffee business. Coffee is the dominant source of income for the majority of smallholder farmers in the region. To these growers, coffee is everything; coffee sends their children to school, coffee buys medication, and provides the livelihoods for families.

Currently, there are two washing stations in Dumerso: one is run by cooperatives; the other belongs to Hirut Berhanu where our coffee is processed. During the harvest season (October-January) Hirut employs 290+ workers, 95% of whom are women.

Hirut Berhanu has been involved in the coffee trade for the last 15 years. She worked in the Ethiopian commodity exchange as a coffee trader. In 2010, she purchased the Dumerso washing station from the government. The mill was originally established in 1998, but it was not operational at the time of acquisition. In 2013, Hirut re-opened the mill and began processing specialty coffee.