Rwanda: Handicraft – Lifting Women From Poverty
AllAfrica.com, Washington
Florence Mutesi
Kigali
There are a number of beautiful art items Rwanda can make by using local materials and hands. They are promoted through associations and trainings. Women can use the chance of the advanced skills and wide markets to advance in their standard of living. They have come together, organised themselves and formed associations. They are preaching the results.
The Gasabo Hand Craft Association (Apaga), a women’s association that came into existence after its members realised that women can do something and get out of poverty, is one of these clusters
The women were also motivated to begin the association after realising the uneducated ladies in villages were poor and could not sustain their lives. “So we felt it better if did something better than the life we were leading,” she said.
Carine Umurungi, coordinator of Apaga, says they organised themselves in 2006, to promote themselves (women). Out of the 30 women who make up the association, only four knew little about art. The rest did not know anything about handcrafts.
The four who knew about it did not know how to make standard and up-to-date items. Now the women in the association make items from banana fibers. They make tables, single, double, and triple seat sofa sets. Other items include huts, tables, bags, wall frames.
Umurungi said the association has the support of the Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP), a project run by the Ministry of Agriculture. They were given Frw13m to buy raw materials and find places to work and train from.
The group used to meet five times a week, and would be trained by an experienced man from the Butare Hand Craft Cooperation. Since they attended on a daily basis, the women were paid Frw1,000 every day as facilitation.
She said out of the 30 women, the 25 who completed the training are able to make items they sell to support themselves and their families.
Beneficiary’s testimony
Annonciata Mugoloriyimana, 35, who has a family of 12, said before joining Apaga, she lived a struggling life like any other housewife. She practiced small-scale agriculture prior to joining the association.
“You know we are near Kabuga town, there are many people in the place, so the land I was using for agriculture was small. The product from the garden was only used for home consumption. I could not get even a coin from the products,” she revealed.
She says with the skills she attained from a four month training, funded by Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP), she is able to make items that cost more than Frw10,000 each.
“Apaga has given us knowledge to make things which we sell and get money,” she said. “In this case, I help my husband to raise money to cater for the family. He cannot handle the family alone, neither can I, it is big.”
She has a husband who is a public motorist. She also has seven children and two orphans, which her family raises. All the children are studying. Her eldest child is in form two and the rest of her biological children are in primary.
Mugoloriyimana has a reason to smile; she says they have completed the training and hope to be working as a group.
Although she does not expect the daily payments after the accomplishment of the training, she is sure with the acquired skills, they will be able to generate income.
She called upon her fellow women who are at home as house wives, practicing agriculture and poverty stricken, to join associations. To her, if women join associations and learn income generating activities, they will get rid of poverty and isolation.
“I am addressing this to those women who have not connected themselves to each other for collective efforts, to come up and fight poverty through hand craft since it is a talent to women, as to support their families,” she confessed.
RSSP appreciating Apaga activities
Anthon Busingye, an RSSP rural sociologist, said his organisation started funding Apaga last year to fight poverty. He says RSSP normally facilitates agriculture and animal husbandry, but this Apaga support is under off-farm activities, which are those done outside of agriculture and live stock.
Busingye said RSSP gave Apaga Frw13 m. The first installment of about Frw3m was given to the association in September 2006. The second package of Frw6m was given in January. The remaining and the last installment of about Frw3.5m will be given as soon as they bring in another project.
“They always write projects, see what is to be done next, its worthiness, then give them money. In their activities, they have to follow what they agreed with RSSP,” Busingye explained.
He also said when the RSSP gives the association money, the association has to account for their expenses. He says in the times they have been giving the money, the association uses the fund profitably and so fast.
“We are happy of the way they are working,” Busingye said. “They are organized, they are also happy about what is done, they have a place to work in, a training place and three show room.”