Rwandan Sisal Checkered Baskets

It is typical for many women in developing countries to depend solely on their husbands for financial needs, but Songa Designs International is changing this dynamic. By working for Songa, under-resourced women are encouraged to pursue economic independence, simply by using skills acquired through everyday life. Songa Designs provides jobs for over 150 women who in turn negotiate their own salaries and earn fair wages, which enables them to buy land, health insurance or send their children to school for the first time. Trained by generations of local cultural tradition, the skilled artisans in Rwanda in East Africa craft stylish, high-quality accessories inspired by nature. Each handmade item is tightly woven with all-natural materials such as banana leaf fiber or sisal plants.