Gahaya Links Cooperatives

Baskets of Peace and Prosperity

The story of Gahaya Links is not just one of beautiful basketry. In the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, thousands of widowed women and orphaned teenage girls became the sole income providers for their families instantaneously. Sisters Joy Ndunguste and Janet Nkubana recognized the opportunity to use traditional Rwandan weaving, not only as a means of income generation but also as a way to bring communities together.

For over 20 years, Gahaya has perfected their finely woven sisal/raffia and wild sweetgrass baskets, a technique that has been passed on from one generation to another as a rite of passage for teenage girls since the beginning of time in Rwanda. A Gahaya basket is adorned with geometric patterning and vibrant, naturally dyed colors. Most recognizable is perhaps their whimsical, tall-necked woven vessels with tapering tops that seem to sway gently from left and right, immediately appealing for their almost anthropomorphic appearance.

Gahaya Links has had a profound impact on the quality of life for its members, who, thanks to the organization, are able to provide a stable source of income not just for themselves, but for their families as well. Today they are a strong network of over 4000 women artisans, organized in over 50 cooperatives, who are passing down the art of basket weaving to their children.