I love decorating my home with useful art. The kind of pieces that are functional yet can pass off as decorative as well. When I started looking for an amazing piece for my dining room table I knew I wanted something that was beautiful and stood out and something I could use for everyday use.
When I heard about the Rwanda Path to Peace at Macy's I knew I wanted a piece from their collection for my home. And when I opened the box with this gorgeous basket inside, I not only was in love, I felt great about the meaning behind the basket as well and am proud to display it on my dining room table.
Rwanda Path to Peace is a healing journey and a source of sustainable living that utilizes the incredible skill of weaving that is passed down by generations of Rwandan women.
These women have seen their neighbors and their families destroyed by genocide and ethnic cleansing, leaving many of them broken and hopeless, lost in a country where women are considered second-rate citizens because of their gender.
Although the genocide was over a decade ago, the recovery from a tragedy of this magnitude is a constant struggle. The sale of the baskets through Macy's has given these women a source of sustainable income and pride.
The project and the income it generates has:
- improved the
lives of at least 18,000 children
- provided access to education
- provided access to health
care
Educational Benefits
The weavers are now able to pay school fees, purchase
essential supplies and provide shoes and clean uniforms. They can even
afford kerosene and candles to provide light in the evening so children
can complete their schoolwork.
Health Benefits
Weavers are also able to meet their children’s health
and nutritional needs, and perhaps most importantly, they now have
affordable health insurance and access to medical care when they need
it.
Pride and Recognition
Beyond the obvious benefits of scholastic supplies and health care,
the children in weavers' communities are benefiting in a number of less
tangible ways. They feel immense pride in their mother's ability to
provide for them, praising them to friends and telling classmates that
their mother's baskets sell in America.
The children are also enjoying
strengthened relationships with their fathers who look after them while
their mothers weave. The strong, cooperative relationships being forged
between women and men are providing excellent examples for the future.
These women are warriors and have found a way to
restore hope and love among their communities and families with the sale
of their baskets. The baskets are a symbol of strength and courage
among the Rwandan women who weave them. For more info go to
www.Macys.com/Rwanda.
Disclaimer: I received a Rwanda Path to Peace fair trades fruit bowl for review purposes only.
Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers.
