17/07/2023
Bracelets of Hope
When you arrive at One&Only Resort in Rwanda, it’s hard to miss the unique interior decorations that are so clearly sculpted with care and creativity. This art might be Rwanda’s renowned geometrical designs, known as Imigongo, woven baskets or beautifully designed mirrors and furniture made right here in the Land of a Thousand Hills. Many of these exquisite pieces were painstakingly made by hand by the artisans of Gahaya Links.
Gahaya Links is a handicraft and interior design company founded in 2006 and dedicated to Rwandan women’s economic empowerment. The company works with more than 10,000 female artisans across the country from 52 cooperatives. Gahaya Links trains these women in weaving activities to help them feel empowered, dignified, able to give back to their communities, and be self-sustainable through their work.
When One&Only Gorilla’s Nest was under development, the resort partnered with Gahaya Links. More than 200 women and men from Musanze District were trained by Gahaya Links to produce items like baskets and imigongo for the resort. Thanks to these efforts, the resort has become a haven for locally made artwork.
Janet Nkubana, Co-founder of Gahaya Links, describes the partnership as “a symbol of care.”
“One&Only came at the right time. They put smiles on the artists’ faces by buying from them. They could have chosen other cooperatives or shipped similar items from other places, but they chose Rwandan women, and we are grateful for sharing a mutual purpose of community empowerment. Surely, many lives are changing,” says Janet.
Christine Mukankuranga, a 48-year-old mother, is one of the artisans who makes these bracelets. Living with HIV has not been easy for her. Before joining Gahaya Links, she was vulnerable and didn’t know much about weaving. But after joining and learning, she enjoyed it and turned it into a profession.
Thanks to the partnership, Christine is now earning money, which enables her and her family more financially secure.
“I can now make a bracelet, and many other different items. I earn money from it and provide for my family thanks to this work. We now have a strong market for our products as Gahaya Links artisans,” says Christine.
The partnership with One&Only has touched many lives according to Janet Nkubana.
“When you look at One&Only, it’s not just a high-end resort but one that puts community development at the centre of everything. When one of these women comes back to say: “thank you, my kids are back to school, I am eating healthy, I am dressing well, and I have insurance,” that’s what makes my life happier.”
Gahaya Links not only helps women become self-sufficient through artisanship rooted in Rwandan culture, but also fosters creativity and invention of historic products to preserve. This is all thanks to commitment from these empowered women who are taking the country’s artistry to the rest of the world.
