Sylvere Maniraguha
Photo: Luke MacGregor
Sylvere Maniraguha is a Rwandan wood carver and a founding member of the Inganzo Cooperative, the group that carves many of Azizi Life’s nativities, bookends, and keepsakes. His craft has helped him build a home, support his family, and find, in his words, a life of purpose. This is his story.
Story by Azizi Life Story Team Member Jean Claude Dusabe.
Sylvere Maniraguha was born in 1985 in Southern Province, Muhanga District, Cyeza sector. He has a twin brother named Sylvain. Sylvere had the opportunity to go to school up to 6th grade. He is now married to Triphonie Uwamahoro, and they have two children: a seven-year-old girl named Giramata and a five-year-old boy named Brian.
In 2004, at the age of 19, Sylvere got the opportunity to learn wood carving. At Sylvere’s church, there was a group of nuns called the Saint Esprit Sisters. These nuns had an initiative to help people with disabilities and others in the community to learn craft, helping them improve their lives socially and economically. Sylvere participated in this learning program, and after completing his studies in 2005, he and some other artisans formed a cooperative called Inganzo, which means ‘The Source of Development.’ Group members like Sylvere do the initial heavy work with the wood in order to facilitate the carving work of their fellow group members who have disabilities. The small group of men designs different crafts from wood, such as nativities and bookends, using only hand tools. Through the Catholic church, Inganzo began filling orders for partners in Italy and refined their craft through this relationship. In 2009, the woodcarvers began working with Azizi Life, which helped them to get orders and customers. Now a group of six, the woodcarvers of Inganzo continue to work together in a workshop at their local parish.
Photo: Luke MacGregor
His job has helped him significantly. Sylvere has built his own house, right next to his twin brother Sylvain and on the same hill as his parents’ home. He has a farm. He can pay for health insurance and meet basic needs like food, clothing, and other family needs, and he contributes to a savings group, which helps him in many ways, such as accessing loans, learning money management, and putting savings away for times of emergency.
Sylvere is thankful for the Saint Esprit Sisters, who he says helped him to become a “man with purpose.” He is thankful to his fellow Inganzo members, his family, and to Azizi Life. His gratitude for Azizi Life comes from the knowledge that it would not have been easy to get customers and income from wood carving if Azizi Life hadn’t connected him to a global market. He is thankful to God for this blessing.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Sylvere, like many people, was worried about the consequences and the possible reduction in orders. His inability to contribute to his savings group and possible food shortages at home and in the markets were concerns that kept his mind busy. He meets each day with a prayer that the grace and provision of God will cover him. He still has hope that all problems related to COVID-19 will be resolved and people will once again live in peace.
A NOTE FROM AZIZI LIFE: God hears our prayers. Since this piece was written, we saw a remarkable increase in retail and wholesale orders through the Azizi Life website. This has made more orders possible for many artisan groups Azizi Life serves. Sylvere has been busy fulfilling orders for the next shipment and is paid for his work upon order delivery at the Azizi Life office.
You can learn more about Sylvere, Inganzo, and the hand carved wood products they make by visiting the Inganzo Cooperative page..