Mary Makere Limited Edition Portrait
Indego Africa

Mary Makere Limited Edition Portrait

$2,000.00

Part of the Indego Africa In Residence exhibition, this limited-edition portrait captures the strength, dignity, and individuality of the women at the heart of Indego Africa’s work. Photographed by Jacques Nkinzingabo, each image is a powerful testament to resilience, creativity, and the communities women build together.

Printed in a special limited edition size and professionally framed by Framebridge, each piece offers collectors the opportunity to bring this story into their own space—celebrating the women whose craft and collaboration continue to shape hopeful futures.

Learn more about Mary Makere, in her own words, in the Behind The Design section below.

Price
$2,000.00
  • Signed by the photographer
  • Sold framed
  • Print size: 20" x 30"
  • Frame Size 26.875" x 36.875"
  • Framed by Framebridge in Irvine Slim with a classic white mat

Mahama Refugee Camp is the largest refugee camp in Rwanda and home to over 70K displaced individuals as of January 2026. Many of whom have been displaced for decades.  

More than refugees, each portrait represents an individual, an artist, and an entrepreneur. A woman whose story, achievements, and aspirations are neither defined nor limited by displacement.

Through their partnership with Indego Africa, these women have unlocked opportunities for income generation, self-reliance, and creative expression, along with a network of mentorship, community, and support.

Indego Africa is dedicated to fostering the growth of sustainable artisan-owned businesses and investing in the women who run them. In 2016, Indego expanded their model of market access and education to refugee camps in Rwanda in partnership with UNHCR and went on to become one of the first social enterprise to join the Made51 network. Since then, Indego Africa’s Economic Inclusion for Refugees program has created a pathway to self-reliance for over 300 refugee women in two of Rwanda’s largest refugee camps.

Our Promise

Local + Sustainable

Local is durable. We strive to be environmentally responsible in the production of all our products. We use a range of natural fibers indigenous to the countries where we work, sourcing our materials from local markets and farms. Materials that cannot be sourced locally are sourced consciously, prioritizing pan-African trade, quality and sustainability.

 Celebrating Craftsmanship

Craft Matters. Each of our products, from weaving to woodcarving, is handcrafted using time-honored, heritage techniques. We collaborate with our artisan partners to create products that celebrate their talent, share the beauty of traditional African artistry, and showcase our dedication to high-quality, modern design. Our artisan partners take pride in creating our handmade products, and their skill ensures the reliable quality of our brand.

 Transparent Partnerships

Our artisan partners work with us, not for us. We build long-term transparent partnerships, working collaboratively to determine fair pricing and ensure they have the resources to deliver beautiful and consciously crafted products to consumers around the world. Together, our partners make up 20+ primarily women-owned artisan businesses in Rwanda, Ghana, and Refugee Camps.

 Long-Term Impact

Our artisan partners have big dreams and big plans. We invest in their education because we believe in their ability to achieve (and exceed) their goals. We entrust our partners with the innovative designs, advanced skills training, and the market access needed to start careers and grow their own businesses. When women are financially and emotionally supported, they become powerful engines of growth for their families and communities.
Local + Sustainable
Celebrating Craftsmanship
Transparent Partnerships
Long-Term Impact

About the Product

My name is Mukandoli Mary Makere. I was born in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where I was also raised. When I think about my life, it feels like a long and emotional journey—one marked by loss, survival, and hope.

Back home in the DRC, life was fulfilled and dignified. We had cattle that filled our homes with pride, and our plantations were productive. I lived without fear or doubt about the future of my children. We believed tomorrow would be better than today. Those memories now feel like distant stories.

Displacement changed everything.

There were times when my children went to bed with empty stomachs. As a mother, my heart and soul were heavy. We survived day by day, carrying pain silently. Even when we smiled, our souls were wounded. Some things cannot be shared or spoken aloud.

Yet, even in hardship, we held on. At least we were alive. At least we were together.

After returning and settling in Rwanda, my life slowly began to change. In late 2018, I started partnering with Indego Africa as a weaver. This opportunity became a turning point. Through the cooperative, we work hard and share what we earn. The income may be modest, but it brings dignity, purpose, and strength.

There are still storms we carry inside us, but today, my children are going to school. They receive medical care. We live in peace. These things mean everything to a mother.

This work has given us hope. It is an assurance and a guarantee that our children’s future can be different from our past. I am not only a craftwoman—I am a mother rebuilding her family stitch by stitch, with resilience, courage, and faith.

Part of the Indego Africa In Residence exhibition, this limited-edition portrait captures the strength, dignity, and individuality of the women at the heart of Indego Africa’s work. Photographed by Jacques Nkinzingabo, each image is a powerful testament to resilience, creativity, and the communities women build together.

Printed in a special limited edition size and professionally framed by Framebridge, each piece offers collectors the opportunity to bring this story into their own space—celebrating the women whose craft and collaboration continue to shape hopeful futures.

Learn more about Mary Makere, in her own words, in the Behind The Design section below.

  • Signed by the photographer
  • Sold framed
  • Print size: 20" x 30"
  • Frame Size 26.875" x 36.875"
  • Framed by Framebridge in Irvine Slim with a classic white mat

Exceptional products made by women who are changing the future for themselves, their families and their communities

Skills-based education as a catalyst for social change

Through customized business, leadership, and vocational training programs, our artisan partners develop the knowledge and tools to run and scale their own businesses. This opens the door to long-term economic opportunity for themselves and their communities.

An ethical and inclusive supply chain with makers at its core

We build long-term, transparent relationships with our artisan partners, providing access to global markets and ensuring fair wages. Using locally sourced, natural materials, we create heirloom quality products that blend heritage technique with modern design.

Join our mission and help generations of African women achieve economic independence