Learn About and Purchase Rwandan Baskets

Rwandan women have been weaving baskets of all sizes for centuries. The baskets perform a variety of functions, holding grain, possessions, and some are even so tightly woven as to hold water. Stylistically, the baskets with stark contrasting zig-zag patterns may have a tie to earlier Zulu examples, which can be even larger than what is seen in Rwanda. The designs among the Hutu, the Tutsi, and the indigenous Twa are very similar, something which has helped bring people together in the aftermath of the terrible civil war.

ArtEmpower partners with Rwanda Basket Company, another non-profit enterprise that encourages survivors to go through a “Reconciliation Process,” encountering women from previously warring tribes, to share stories that heal and unite. Following find a selection of accounts of hope from women weaving with Rwanda Basket Company, whose products are avaiable through this site.

Theodette*
I am 35 years old and a widow.  I have many children that I am caring for on my own.  Today I am a farmer, a cattle keeper and now a weaver.  When my husband was still alive, I just took care of the family farm and the cattle.  But after my husband was killed, I learned to weave baskets.  These baskets help me to provide for my family and also help to fight my great loneliness by working closely with other women.  I’ve learned to be a good weaver and the money I get from selling my baskets now allows me to help solve many of my family’s financial problems.

Marie*
I am 51 years old.  My husband and I have 9 children.  I started weaving in the hopes of finding a way out of the terrible poverty that my family was experiencing.  Now, thanks to the baskets I sell, I no longer have to beg for anything.  I can send my children to school, I can buy soap to wash their clothes, I can even buy them their school uniforms and the other items they need.  I am so grateful to each person who buys one of my baskets.

(* Accounts courtesy Rwanda Basket Company, www.rwandabaskets.com)