Mahama camp: the resilience of refugee women through basket weaving

Woven baskets are an iconic Rwandan staple. Originally used to store grains and carry fruit and vegetables, in recent years they have come to represent Rwandan culture; a symbol of peace, hope and opportunity.

The process of weaving baskets, therefore, couldn’t be more relevant to refugee communities, many who have found safety after fleeing their countries to Rwanda. In Mahama refugee camp, home to over 58,000 refugees from Burundi and DRC, refugee women have embraced the opportunities that basket weaving can bring.

“The process of doing something with your hands can heal,” explains Jeanne, a Burundian refugee who fled to Rwanda with her family in 2015.

After collecting and drying the natural grasses and fibres used as raw material, a lot of thought is put into the dying process, the colours, and the patterns to be woven in order to create a basket with market appeal, Jean explains. She added that, although it may look easy, the colourful woven baskets take on average three days to make.

Jeanne is part of the Turashoboye Cooperative, started in 2021. The cooperative was initially formed by 12 women but has since grown to include 43 women, from both Burundian and Congolese refugees living in the Mahama camp. “We don’t turn anyone away who wants to join us,” says Jeanne. “Instead, we are happy to teach more women the skill and help them make money. If we make more products, then the increased income helps us all.”

On average, the cooperative sells a woven basket for around 15,000 RwF (approximately $15 USD) directly to customers but prices depend on size and the material used. Through working with initiatives such as Indego Africa and UNHCR’s Made51 brand – www.Made51.org  - they are also able to access global markets where the mark-up price of their baskets is substantially more. The UN in Rwanda is committed to supporting such initiatives with similar livelihood projects also supported by UN Women and UNCDF in other refugee camps and among Rwandan communities.

The success of the project is clear simply through the joy Jean and her peers express when talking about their work. Aline, a mother of two, explains how the small income she currently receives from weaving baskets has given her a sense of dependence and confidence. “I can rely on myself; I know with the money I get from these baskets my family will be able to eat and I can buy clothes for my two children.”

Achieving gender equality and supporting women’s empowerment is an essential part of realizing the sustainable development goals with the Turashoboye Cooperative demonstrating the value of this joint project to achieving this. In addition to weaving baskets, women in the cooperative have also been encouraged to start savings groups and enrolled in financial literacy and business development training programmes.

“We have lots of products, lots of ideas but the market is limited,” concludes Jean, adding a plea to the UN in Rwanda to support the cooperative’s access a wider range of markets and income sources both inside and outside Rwanda.