Published: June 2019


This post is sponsored by Taylors and Creating for Good

My journey with Taylors and Creating for Good began way back in July 2017 when I received an email from Jess Henderson. I still have that email, and I can still remember reading it, late, when I should have been trying to sleep. 

“Their proposal is for a year long collaboration – that has honestly had us pinching ourselves for the last few months. We will be working alongside them to host four workshops – focussed around their coffees and teas – throughout the year, which are all about craft, travel, food and nature, culminating in an all-expenses paid trip to Rwanda to meet some of the Taylors tea and coffee farmers”

I knew immediately that this was something I needed to do. An opportunity that would probably never come around again. A truly extraordinary chance to go on the most epic of personal journeys, and not least one that would hopefully make a little bit of difference. 

You see I’d always been a shy girl without much self confidence, but without much warning my world had been turned upside down, and at this time I was pretty much at rock bottom. The little self confidence I had was shattered, and I was struggling. I was feeling very much more alone in the world than I ever had done before.

For me to even consider taking on a project of this length and magnitude, let alone leaving my kids for a week to travel to east Africa, was… bonkers?! Brave? A little bit of both maybe. Maybe it takes both those things to do something so far out of our comfort zone. 

Aside from the personal journey, at a time when Instagram was evolving into a slightly odd place where creativity seemed to take second fiddle to profitability, the idea that I could get involved with something worthwhile appealed massively. 

I wrote all about the itch I have to do something that “matters” with my photography in my last post about the project here. Please give it a read for more context and my connection with Taylors and Creating for Good.

Going to Rwanda is one of the things I am proudest of, and I did it for me. Aside from the fact I know my kids are proud of me for going, I am also proud of myself. And to say I loved it is an understatement. 

There aren’t really the words to sum up how I feel about our time there. I loved every minute, but it also took me to the extremes of sadness and horror, and pushed me physically and emotionally almost to the brink. But one thing I never, ever felt, was alone. 

The women I travelled with are the most incredible, awe-inspiring bunch of people I know. Each and every one of them has so much heart, and I’ll never forget the both the joy and the tears that we shared. Listening to Dolly Parton for 4 hours off road driving in torrential rain was definitely something to remember. 

I am writing this with tears in my eyes, and it’s taken me 3 months to be able write it at all. It feels impossible to do justice to the work that Taylors do in Rwanda (and other origin countries they buy from), and also the incredible people we met there who do so much good. It gives me life to know that there are people like them who are selflessly helping others in these ways.

Maybe one day I’ll write about it again, but for now this is the best I can do. I’ll let the images do the talking and take you with me on an extraordinary journey. 


Kigali – The Genocide Memorial Museum


We visited the Genocide Memorial Museum on our first day. I’m very glad we did, because understanding what happened in Rwanda in 1994 underpins everything else you see in the country. From this moment everyone you talk to, and everyone you pass in the street, you will know that the genocide will have effected them in some way. 

The museum is now the final resting place for over 250,000 people. Its’ work is not only to document and to archive what happened during those 100 days of unimaginable terror, and to teach us how and why it happened, but also to provide somewhere for relatives of those who were killed to come and feel closer to them. The single rose lying on top of the vast concrete tomb is a stark reminder that this is not just a museum, it’s a place of mass burial.

A single red rose lies on the pavement, creating a quiet, reflective and emotional scene.

Taylors’ Becky Mundy reading the names of some of those who were slaughtered.

I didn’t take many photos that day. I wish I’d taken more but it seemed futile at the time. Please take a look at the Kigali Genocide Memorial website to read more about the amazing work they do. It’s our responsibility to learn and remember.

Woman carries a bag while walking outdoors in a candid black and white moment.

The Women for Women education programme, Kigali


On our second day we visited Women for Women in Kigali. Creating for Good have a history of fundraising for Women for Women, and this was part of the trip that was important for all of us. As a charity, Women for Women help women whose lives have been destroyed by war and famine, equipping them with the skills they need to rebuild their lives. 

Through a year long programme women are taught a marketable skill such as weaving or bread-making, as well as how to save money, have a bank account, about family planning and avoiding sexually transmitted diseases -all within a sisterhood of 24 other woman. This helps to breakdown the isolation caused by war and gives her a tight knit support group and community. 

Women dance joyfully in colourful dresses during a community celebration or cultural gathering.

The warmest of welcomes at the Women for Women programme

Women and children sit together outdoors, watching an event and sharing a relaxed community moment.

The women in the programme learn essential life skills as well as a marketable trade

Mother cuddles her baby outside, showing warmth, bonding and family life in the community.

Many of the women would walk for up to 40 minutes each way to be at the programme, and any pre-school children they had came along too

Young boy stands outside holding a “I love my daddy” sign, smiling in a playful family moment.

We all enjoyed playing “photographer” with this little boy, who loved taking pictures with our phones, and gave plenty of fist bumps too

Women sit together reading and writing in notebooks, showing community learning and education.

Trading shares within the cooperative. The women are able to take out loans and set up repayment schedules to improve their homes or businesses.

Women sit together holding babies and young children, showing family life, community support and caregiving.
Woman sits outside in a natural setting, appearing reflective and calm in a rural environment.

Our sponsored sister Valerie. It was very special to meet Valerie, as Taylors have funded her programme as part of this project. She came out of an abusive relationship and is a single Mum with three children.

Urugo Women’s Opportunity Center, Kigali


The next day we visited the Urugo Women’s Opportunity Center set up by Women for Women, to see the program brought to life. Situated in beautiful rural Rwanda, surrounded by rolling hills and farmland, is the amazing eco-lodge. Since 2013 the center has provided a secure environment where womens cooperatives can work, farm, and trade – moving “from crisis and poverty to stability and economic self-sufficiency”

Women perform a traditional dance in bright pink dresses, celebrating culture, community and heritage.

Another wonderful warm welcome, from professional drumming and dance troupes funded by Women for Women

Expansive hillside farmland with scattered crops and farmers, highlighting rural agriculture and landscape.

I took so many photos in this valley. The landscape is typical of most of the landscapes we saw around the country, which is highly populated and intensely farmed

Woman stands in a lush farm field, showing rural agriculture, crop growth and community farming.

Down in the lush valley near the center where women who have been through the programme farm organic produce.

Family stands together on farmland, representing rural community, farming life and shared resilience

These children were out of school for the weekend, and they loved chasing after our Land Rover as we drove into the valley. They also loved having their photos taken 🙂

Children walk and play in a rural field, capturing community life, childhood and open farmland.
Sprinkler irrigation waters a hillside farm, showing crop care, agriculture and sustainable water use.

A new sustainable irrigation system that had recently been installed

Female farmer gathers vibrant vegetables in a field, highlighting sustainable farming and community food growth.

A lady proudly showing us some of the produce they had grown

Woman harvesting fresh vegetables in a rural field, showing small-scale farming and local agriculture.

This lady is one of my favourite memories of Rwanda, she found the whole experience of being photographed doing her work hilarious and had us all in stitches

Smiling woman stands in a field, representing farming, confidence and community livelihood.
Fresh colourful vegetables laid on soil, including carrots, beets and peppers, showing local farming harvest.


As a beetroot obsessive, I’m still a bit gutted that I didn’t get to eat one of these ones!


As a beetroot obsessive, I’m still a bit gutted that I didn’t get to eat one of these ones!

Farmers work across a wide hillside field, capturing rural agriculture, teamwork and daily life.

One of my favourite images from the week, this little girl was too shy to come and play with the others, and watched us from a distance.

Young girl sits at a sewing machine in a classroom, learning new skills in a supportive education space.

Elsewhere at the eco-lodge were cooperatives producing clothing, weaving, yoghurt making, and art work.

Woman helps another woman with sewing work, showing shared skills, support and community learning

Rosie Beatty trying her hand at basket weaving.

Two women prepare food together and smile, showing teamwork, connection and shared moments in the kitchen.

The lovely Jess Henderson makes friends absolutely everywhere she goes.

The “Artisans in Residence” at the lodge are producing high quality goods that are sold in the marketplace at the lodge, at the giftshop, and taken to other markets elsewhere. Please take a look at the website for more information on this amazing place and the work they do. 

Leaving Kigali

Group of smiling women sit together indoors, capturing friendship, warmth and community.

Rosie Beattie, Carly Murphy and Sam Ward from the Taylors team. I would follow these women anywhere 😍

Person stands under a large tree with wide valley views, showing open landscapes and quiet outdoor scenery.

The sun setting over Kigali. We had an amazing driver who took us up to this viewpoint. The city sprawls out across the valley below.

Soft sunrise over distant hills and rocky landscape, showing calm morning light and peaceful mountain scenery.

It’s hard to imagine the atrocities of the genocide in a place of so much beauty.

Sorwathe Tea Estate, Kinihira, Rwanda


After leaving Kigali we travelled in a convoy of Land Rovers to Kinihira. At a higher altitude, it is where some of the finest tea is produced and Taylors have been buying from this estate since soon after the genocide. 

The estate is exemplary with it’s fair trade record, and Taylors have invested in many projects here including a porridge project for 3-5 year olds, and a sanitary towel project for the girls at the high school, both of which we were fortunate enough to visit.

Woman with backpack stands on hillside overlooking a misty mountain valley, capturing adventure and peaceful nature views.

The sun setting over the beautiful Rwandan landscape.

Soft morning light falls over rolling green hills and distant homes, showing peaceful highland scenery and rural landscapes.
Thick morning mist covers the hills at sunrise, creating a calm, atmospheric landscape with soft light and rolling fog.

As the sun sets, the mists rise. After a slightly surreal night spent at the estate lodge under a lacy mosquito net, we got up at 5am for the sunrise. Never have I been more glad that I set an alarm for sunrise. The valley had disappeared into the morning mists with only the mountain tops peeking through

Sunlight breaks through clouds over layered hills, highlighting dramatic skies, depth and scenic mountain views.
People and vehicles move along a red dirt road in a busy town, capturing daily life, local transport and community activity.

Uncharacteristically quiet, the sun rises over the main street of the town at Sorwathe Tea Estate

Motorbike travels down a red dirt road lined with tall trees, showing rural life, transport and scenic countryside

We thought we were up early, but many Rwandans were making their way to work and school.

Cyclists ride along a tree-lined red dirt road, capturing rural travel, adventure and scenic countryside views.

A photographer’s dream.

Early morning mist rolls over tea-covered hills, showing tranquil scenery, gentle light and highland nature.

The bright green in the foreground is the tea leaves. No wonder they taste so good.

Sunlight breaks through dramatic clouds at sunrise, highlighting peaceful views, soft light and serene landscapes.

The thing you can see just poking through the mist is the top of another mountain halfway across the valley

Golden sunrise over misty hills and tea fields, capturing calm morning light, natural beauty and highland landscapes.

Good morning tea 🙂

Tea worker walking through tall forest trees above the plantations, showcasing hillside farming, nature and rural life.

After our photography session we drove even higher up to where the tea pickers were at work. The mists were still melting away and the views were astonishing.

Tea worker gathering leaves on hillside plantations, supporting ethical farming, sustainable production and local livelihoods.

The tea is all picked by hand to avoid damaging the delicate leaves. It’s a highly skilled job that can take three years to master, and the workers begin at daybreak each day and pick for around 5 hours through often torrential rain at this time of year, and constantly pushing their way through the coarse and prickly bushes.

Tea farmer harvesting leaves beside a tree, representing sustainable agriculture, handpicked tea and rural community work.
A tea picker standing in the fields with a basket, showcasing ethical tea production, handpicking and community farming.
Tea worker harvesting fresh leaves in green plantations, highlighting sustainable farming, handpicking and rural livelihoods.
Two workers sit together in lush tea fields, supporting sustainable farming, community livelihoods and local agriculture.
Misty mountain landscape overlooking lush valleys, showcasing natural beauty, highland scenery and peaceful rural views.
A worker carries fresh greens in a processing area as part of local agriculture and food production.
Tea tasting setup with cups and samples used for quality testing in local tea production.

After the tea is picked it’s loaded into trucks and brought here to the factory, where it is sorted, wilted, processed and finally taste tested ready for sale

Students sit together in uniform during a school programme focused on education, wellbeing and community support

The girls at the high school on the estate, about to receive their sanitary towels funded by Taylors

Students gather in uniform for a school assembly supporting education, community development and learning.
A group of community members standing outdoors during a local education and support initiative.

Each bag contains 9 reusable sanitary towels. Sustainable, locally made, and allows these girls to come to school while they are on their periods without fear or embarrassment. Such an incredibly important project.

School children stand together outdoors as part of a community education and support initiative.
Rows of colourful cups set out for a school feeding programme supporting child nutrition and daily learning.

The porridge project for pre school and primary school children is another amazing thing funded by Taylors. The children all receive a nutritious and vitamin fortified porridge mid-morning. This was one of my favourite things that we visited, not least because of pretty coloured cups in straight lines, and because I flipping love hanging out with little kids.

Staff prepare colourful cups for a school meal programme helping improve child nutrition and classroom support.
Young children sit with food containers during a school nutrition programme supporting health and early learning.
Children gather in a community hall for a local education and nutrition programme supporting early childhood development.

Ejo Heza – A Beautiful Tomorrow


Our final stop in Rwanda was a visit to the amazing Ejo Heza coffee farming collective, a part of the Kopakama coffee estate. Taylor’s have been buying from this collective for their coffee blends for a while, and now have a roast dedicated to this very special coffee collective. It was a huge honour to see this, and the emotion in the ladies from Taylors was tangible. Clearly this was something that meant a lot to them. 

Ezo Heza translates as “beautiful tomorrow”, which sends a big old tingle down my spine. A female only collective set up after the genocide to empower and support women farmers – their tomorrow is filled with hope, and all being well peace.

Woman smiling while holding a bowl filled with freshly harvested coffee cherries.

The women greeted every one of us with a huge hug. They were rightly so proud of what they have achieved here

Close-up of a hand holding a few ripe red coffee cherries with coffee plants in the background.

The coffee starts life as a cherry, which when ripe is carefully picked by hand before going through an extensive sorting and quality control process

Women sorting freshly picked coffee cherries into a large bowl at a coffee farm.
Person standing among coffee plants, inspecting the leaves and cherries in the field.

Beautiful Charlotte Huco styling out the coffee picking

Rows of coffee beans drying on raised beds under a covered structure at a coffee farm.

After the fruit is removed from the beans, the beans are air dried on the steep terraces of Kopakama estate, and turned by hand and further checked for quality.

Woman sitting on a wooden bench surrounded by greenery with rolling mountains in the distance.

Rwanda giving us another of those views she does so well, from the coffee drying terraces of Kopakama looking towards Lake Kivu and the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cormoron Lodge, Lake Kivu


Our last base in Rwanda was the incredible Cormoron Lodge. Perhaps one of the peaceful and beautiful places I’ve ever been. Those distant shores belong to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where hundreds of thousands of Rwandans tried to cross the border to escape the genocide and it’s after effects. It’s a stark reminder – despite being a land of astonishing beauty and vitality, it’s brutal past is never too far away. 

I left Rwanda a changed person, I think we all did. The progress that has been made here since the genocide is quite unprecedented, and the spirit of forgiveness and togetherness in the Rwandan people is something that could all learn a lot from. 

All you can hope is that the human race will learn never to repeat the atrocities that happened here and that Rwanda will have her beautiful tomorrow.

Person standing at the end of a wooden pier looking out over a calm lake at sunrise.
Peaceful lake at sunset with pastel sky and tree-covered shoreline in the distance.

This post and the project as a whole was sponsored by Taylors, in collaboration with Creating for Good and Women for Women. I am beyond grateful to Taylors for including me in this extraordinary journey.