Blog
It is a truth universally acknowledged that moms are awesome.While we should recognize this fact every day, Mother’s Day provides us with a special occasion to reflect on and share just how awesome they are.
At Indego Africa, many of the women we partner with are mothers, in addition to being talented artisans, entrepreneurs, and community leaders {the list could go on.} It is inspiring to see their steadfast commitment and determination to providing their children with opportunities—to carving out a future for them in which anything is possible and dreams are only waiting to be chased.
We wish to honor the sacrifices they make on behalf of their children, and express our profound appreciation for the hard work and love that they put into every product they make. You can feel this story of motherhood in every stitch.
Happy Mother's Day!
Beatrice is the Secretary of Gakamba group, part of the Imirasire cooperative known for its vibrant and intricately woven plateau baskets.Before joining the Imirasire family, Beatrice worked for many years as a primary school teacher, providing a crucial service for a generation of children whose education had been violently disrupted by the 1994 genocide.
In 2003, she was selected to become a community educator for the Gacaca jurisdictions—a transitional justice system that was created to address the massive buildup of cases awaiting trial following the genocide. The Gacaca courts were comprised of village councils that conducted public trials aimed both at trying the accused and fostering country-wide reconciliation.
Beatrice joined Imirasire in 2007 and has worked there as a weaver ever since. She uses her income to support her four children and hopes to own a farm someday.
We never cease to be inspired by the women of our partner cooperative Twiyubake, and Jacqueline, its president, is no exception. She is a mother of six and plans to open her own boutique someday. But when Jacqueline does something, she wants to do it right. That’s why she hopes to travel Europe and America and research how successful businesses run there, using the lessons she learns to build her own thriving enterprise.Jacqueline’s dreams are no small feat, particularly given the hardships she has overcome. Twiyubake is comprised of genocide widows who work side by side with the wives of men who killed their husbands. Before banding together as a cooperative, many of these women lived in abject poverty, struggling to obtain basic necessities like food, clean water, and shelter. But through their courageous decision to leave the past behind them, to value forgiveness over enmity, these women have built new and prosperous futures for themselves and their families. Today, they are flourishing entrepreneurs, and their beautiful and intricately woven banana leaf products have garnered widespread admiration and success. They are paragons of strength, setting a remarkable example of what reconciliation and unity can look like.
In honor of remembrance, progress, and hope we will be featuring special posts about our artisan partners throughout the month of April. We invite you to share in their stories. Domitille’s laugh can be heard cascading over the hills and echoing through the trees that surround the Hope cooperative, the knitting association of which she is the president. A graceful and self-assured woman, her vibrant smile is nothing short of contagious and her positive energy radiates throughout every room she enters.
While today Domitille is a pillar of confidence and strength, she was not always this way. In fact, her journey to get here was arduous and beset with significant obstacles to overcome.
Only a few years ago, Domitille’s economic circumstances were dire: her family lacked permanent housing, often went hungry, and owned just one piece of clothing each. Her husband was violent and beat her daily, forbidding her to leave the house without his permission, and isolating her from the other women in her community.
However, when her cooperative began partnering with Indego Africa in 2010, her income started to increase. She soon found herself able to buy a house with electricity, feed and clothe her family, send her son to school, and even set aside enough money to invest in a new business of her own.
In her words: “my life really and fully changed . . . I am now a well-to-do woman, with middle income. I can eat what I want, wear what I want. I am confident, independent, and self-sufficient. I think back to what I was like only a few years ago and I do not recognize myself. And that is a good thing.”
Domitille’s economic success engendered newfound confidence and she began to think hopefully about her future. At home, she started to challenge her husband’s control over the household and to call the police whenever he tried to beat her.
Today, her husband’s abuse has stopped and Domitille has become an informal counselor to other women who suffer from domestic violence. She is a respected leader and a powerful role model to the women and girls in her community.
Today the world recognizes the 20th commemoration of the Rwandan genocide, when over 800,000 people were killed over 100 days of unimaginable violence. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all those who continue to grapple with the horrors that took place.As we pause and remember, we also want to send a message of hope—hope grounded in the remarkable and awe-inspiring progress Rwanda has made since the dark days of 20 years ago. We wish to commend our artisan partners who, through their resourcefulness, perseverance, and steadfast determination, have become engines of change in their communities and helped rebuild their country. We admire their courage and bravery, and share in their unwavering hope for even brighter futures to come.
Below are the inspiring words of Rosine Urujeni, Indego Africa’s Country Director, reflecting on what the 20thcommemoration of the genocide means to her:
"It is a time to remember our loved ones (kwibuka) that we never knew or hardly knew because they were taken from us abruptly and for no reason. It is a time to reflect on what is wrong and what is right; what our actions and words mean to others; and what impact we have on our community and country.
As Albert Einstein said 'We cannot despair of humanity since we ourselves are human beings.' It is a time to remember that we are the masters of our lives and that our actions will last forever. We shall never forget to keep faith and to hope for forgiveness for those who committed acts of inhumanity.
The 20th commemoration of the genocide means that as human beings we must continue to work for the common good and to uplift ourselves and our communities. We shall never forget that as human beings, we must strive to do what is best not only for ourselves, but also for others.”
In honor of remembrance, progress, and hope we will be featuring special posts about our artisan partners for the rest of the month. We hope you’ll continue to check back here and share in their stories.
Guest post by: Nicole Heim //
There is something very special about an item that is handmade. Great care and quality goes into a product when a single craftsperson sees it from start to finish. When that same product also empowers a female artisan, you have a deeply meaningful end result.
Upon arriving at Cocoki, the sewing cooperative where I’m training a group of five women, I found a large room of highly skilled artisans. While I may have been teaching Claire, Florence, Ngabire, Beata and Goretti a few skills they hadn’t already mastered, you wouldn’t have known it by watching. As I presented each new piece of information, they quickly digested and executed every step, thoroughly and thoughtfully. They collaboratively worked to measure, cut, and sew with special attention to detail, taking initiative when necessary, proving just how capable they are.
In addition to my time spent training at Cocoki, I’ve had the pleasure of traveling to various other cooperative partners of Indego Africa. Each group of artisans possesses their own set of skills, and every woman holds a unique spirit and smile. The walls and windows of each co-op provide a backdrop of inspiration through varying color, pattern and texture.
As the language barrier makes communication difficult, I love to observe the ladies at work. From the outside looking in, I see a family. The women enjoy each other’s company, and many bring their young children to work. As a toddler sits at a sewing machine or a baby sleeps strapped to her mother’s back, it seems clear that when you empower a woman you empower a generation.
Furthermore, the work of Indego Africa offers meaningful ways to empower that extend far beyond a needle and thread. In addition to having an access to income that allows the artisans to send their kids to school and provide for their families, they also receive invaluable education, which instills confidence and encourages them to be independent businesswomen.
I feel very fortunate to have witnessed these initiatives first hand, and to have met many of the female artisans who are being positively affected by them. When you make your next purchase, know that each handmade step was done with meticulous care, and that it’s truly impacting the life of a woman in Rwanda.
want more? check out Nicole’s beautiful blogphotos courtesy of Nicole Heim
We’re super excited to tell you about a recent collaboration between Judith Haentjes, a Dutch product designer, and the ladies of Twiyubake—one of our first partner cooperatives. We’re super excited to tell you about a recent collaboration between Judith Haentjes, a Dutch product designer, and the ladies of Twiyubake—one of our first partner cooperatives. Twiyubake specializes in the art of banana leaf weaving, a complex and challenging technique. Judith, who works mainly with organic & recycled materials, embraced this challenge, collaborating with the women to create innovative new products with a distinctly geometric feel.
The women of Twiyubake are especially impressive not only for their exceptional artisanal skills, but also their backstory. The word “Twiyubake” means “to rebuild ourselves” in Kinyarwanda, and this is exactly what these women are doing. Made up of genocide widows working side-by-side with the wives of imprisoned génocidaires, this remarkable cooperative fosters unity and reconciliation in post-conflict Rwanda. Here’s what Judith had to say about working with them:
“I had the honor and pleasure to work with seven women, who are part of the Twiyubake family. I spent two weeks with them in their workspace. Together we experimented with banana leaves and developed some new products for Indego Africa. It was an absolutely touching experience for me, as they welcomed me warmly, were extremely open towards me and motivated to make the most out of the weeks.
It was definitely a new experience for both sides. Me as a European product designer travelling to the countryside of Rwanda to collaborate with women that I don’t share a language with (I had a translator) and that are culturally very different from me. And on the other side seven women from Kayonza that have a designer, a profession that they don’t fully grasp, coming to work with them. We definitely needed a warming up period with each other, but it became such a successful time because we stayed open to each other. In addition these ladies are very distinguished in their craft and have a great group dynamic, which makes it very easy to work with them. After two weeks I had learned so many things about these women’s lives and became so fond of them that it was difficult for me to leave. All of them are truly fascinating, lovely, warm and talented women.”Photographs from Twiyubake courtesy of Judith Haentjes
Magic Ladders Exhibit at the Barnes Museum We love people, places and things – here is a person that creates beautiful things that you can see at a place!
Meet Yinka Shonibare – the artist behind the stunning and provocative Magic Ladders exhibit at The Barnes Museum in Philadelphia. Born in Britain but raised in Nigeria, Shonibare subversively examines the relationship between Europe and Africa through the colonial and postcolonial period.
The Magic Ladders exhibit is sponsored by Anthropologie and features Shonibare’s signature life-sized mannequins clothed in colorful Dutch wax fabrics produced in Europe but most closely associated with Africa (similar to those we package our products in!) These dramatic, playful, and irreverent sculptures are both visually spectacular and deeply thought provoking, inviting the viewer to think critically about notions of race, gender, and cultural identity*.
So if you’re in the Philly area, we highly recommend checking out this exhibit. And if you’re not then…ROAD TRIP!
Details:
Yinka Shonibare MBE: Magic Ladders
The Barnes Foundation
2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Dates: January 24-April 21
*Some language provided by the Barnes Museum.