Handicrafts
on Geri Skeen (Rwanda), 05/May/2011 14:22, 34 days ago
You might like to see some of the handicrafts YWCA members make.  Here is Donata, the YWCA cleaner, modelling a bag made from dyed banana fibres:And here is another bag with some jacaranda wood bangles:I like both bags so much they may not be for sale much longer!  We have some display cabinets in YWCA reception.  We're getting an entry in the next Bradt Guide to Rwanda which should increase passing trade as we are on the main road in the second largest town in Rwanda, half way between Kigali and Butare, which is the third largest town.  I suppose that puts us on the busiest road in the country but it's not a busy road by UK standards - Gitarama is quite a sleepy place with a very small town feel to it.The dyed bags and bangles have been made with foreign trade in mind.  Here though is one of the beautiful tradional agaseke women make.  These are unique to Rwanda: The outside is papyrus and the inside is bamboo.  Venantie explained to me that you put things in it that your mother likes such as beans, and things that your father likes such as banana beer, and then you put it on your head and walk to your parents' village to visit them. Here is the Abagaruramuco Group's weekly handicraft-making session:And here is the leader of the group, Assumpta, on the left, making the base of a bag from banana fibres and wild palm leaves, while the woman on the right is doing beadwork:Progress on handicraft marketing has been slow, as one would expect in Africa.  I am working with one member of staff now, Venantie, on handicrafts and we work closely together.  We are putting together a big order of bags for YWCA Bahamas.  We are learning as we go about quality and pricing.  It's taking ages even to find out what each group makes.  People here often don't think to volunteer information so, unless you hit on the right question, you don't find out.  We're slowly improving our recording systems too as previously sales were recorded on scraps of paper which sometimes got lost.  So we're getting more business-like.  I still don't think we're at the stage where we could put together a selection box of handicrafts to send abroad for people like readers of this blog to sell to their friends or keep as presents.  I do hope we get to that point before I leave in July.  I'd also like us to have photographs of a good range of quality products to send to other YWCAs globally.  As I say, progress is slow, and every decision has to be run past several people, but at least it means everyone is on board with what we are doing.  Venantie is great to work with; she is so committed and kind.  Here she is showing you her purse, which was also made by one of our members: