In 1994 the world witnessed the horrifying and heartbreaking genocide of hundreds of thousands of Rwandan citizens. Much of the population has yet to fully recover from the emotional, social, and economic consequences of this tragic event. The women of Rwanda, in particular, face unique challenges in moving forward. 

Rising International and Katrina Makuch* have worked to harness the power of entrepreneurship as a means to lift these women out of poverty.  During the summer of 2008, while a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Ms. Makuch identified three Rwandan genocide survivors’ cooperatives who suffered from limited access in their domestic market. The Rwanda Basket Project, born of this partnership, has brought together women survivors of the genocide - female victims as well as the mothers and wives of genocide perpetrators - in the effort to reconcile the past, promote peace, and improve their standard of living through the art of traditional basket weaving.

Ms. Makuch’s research on the impact of Rising International’s Rwanda Program has shown that by providing access to the US marketplace, these entrepreneurial women capitalize on their skills and significantly increase their incomes, improving their wellbeing and the health of their families. With Rising International providing training, technical assistance, and most importantly access to an export market for their beautiful baskets, members of the Rwanda Basket Project have achieved an average annual income of US$370 – almost $100 more than the national per capita income of Rwanda in the first year alone!**

Despite a dark past, the women of the Rwanda Basket Project cooperatives are now crafting a brighter future.

* Katrina Makuch is a Development Economist based in California. The Rwanda Basket Project development and research funding was provided by Rising International and RNR Foundation, Connie and Bob Lurie, Dina and Clint Eastwood, David E. Kaun Fund, and many other generous donors.

 ** Source: Path to Prosperity: Female Entrepreneurs in the Rwandan Handicraft Sector, Katrina Makuch, University of California, Santa Cruz, June 2009.