Top Stories

Self-Help Project Visiting by Brian George

On Friday, February 12, Bernard and I visited the banana fiber handicrafts self-help project on the outskirts of Kibuye.  We were met upon arrival by association member Dativa and shortly after were joined by Emmanuel, who served as translator from Kinyarwanda to French. 

Our first stop on the visit was to the construction site for the new workshop.  Dativa and Emmanuel reported that construction of the workshop was delayed until early January because of the heavy rains in the Kibuye area.  At the time of our visit approximately 8 construction workers were present at the site.  Thus far, the land has been leveled, the foundation laid, the tin roof put in place (held up by temporary wood poling) and work on the walls begun with the laying of baked mud bricks.  The construction team estimated that it would take three months to complete the building.  Of the construction materials required, the corrugated tin sheets were purchased along with the nails.  Yet to be purchased are the cement, doors, and windows. 

Our next stop was to the present work site.  Upon arrival we saw approximately 10 women cramped in to the tight quarters of the workshop working on a wide range of banana fiber products, including lounge chairs, "curtains", children's chair and table sets, picture frames, and place mats.  According to Dativa, most of the association's members come to work on the handicrafts in the afternoon after their work in the fields is complete (we were there at approximately 12:30pm).  Inside the hut, in addition the banana fiber, unfinished products, and several women, there was a banana fiber processing machine.  According to Emmanuel, the machine--which requires electricity to operate--is transported by vehicle to an electrical outlet whenever a batch of banana leaves needs to be processed.  The women also presented 7 pairs of small scissors used for finishing products.  They said that a large pair of scissors they purchased to cut the stem of the banana leaves was faulty and was sent back to the seller to be replaced.  They were expecting the new pair of scissors to arrive the day after our visit. 

The women present all expressed satisfaction with the project and stated that they had contracts for all of the products they are producing, with their goods available for sale both locally and as far away as Kigali.  As an example of the labor required and earnings made, Dativa said that a lounge chair that can be produced in three days is sold by them for 5,000 Frw, while a set of children's chairs and table fetches 3,000 Frw.