Jelani-Jewelry

This work was produced by Gatesi Wibabara Joyeusesupported by the Holistic Life Organization — an NGO which teaches young mothers how to weave and sew. The organization was started in 2020 with Annelle Aboton. There is a famous saying in Kinyarwanda that says, “Akebo kajya iwamugarura.” It translates to “The basket goes to those who return it,” and it implies that true gratitude is gratitude returned. hand-woven crafts made by young women from Eastern Rwanda, in Nyamata. Rwanda has a long history of basket-weaving, kuboha, and it is our philosophy that this intricate craft is a symbol of patience, candor, and gratitude. Woven items populate homes as decorative objects, as well as in traditional weddings as portals of gifts. This long-lasting culture was the inspiration of this project, both as a business venture and a way to empower women economically through their hand-made products. All the works are coil-woven, and the raw materials to make them are cultivated and hand-gathered by the farmers, who sell them to the weavers. The inside of the coils consists of dry grass and stitched with sisal fiber on the outside of the coil. The Sisal plant is a Agave species plant and grows wild throughout Rwanda. Pointy leaves are used to push the Sisal leaves between a metal can and piece of wood to remove the pulp, and the fine fibers that remain are then spun into long threads and hand-woven using traditional patterns, and the colors are added after. After this intricate process, these crafts are left out in the sun to dry. All baskets and trays have a hanger woven on the back, making them easy to hang if they’re purchased for decorative purposes. However, people also use them to store objects around the house like keys, pens, sweets, etc. while maintaining a beautiful aesthetic; this serves a more functional purpose. Coil weaving is the most difficult type of basket weaving. All these hand-woven works have names which are common in Rwanda. We believe that naming the craft personalizes and conceptualizes it to the Rwandan culture and captures this intimate process that goes into the hand-making of the art.