Kora Ubeho means Work and Live. We are a group of ten women weavers who came together in 2020 in Ntenyo Cell, Byimana Sector, Ruhango District.

Before forming our group, each of us used to weave alone at home. Although we had the skills, the payments were so low that weaving brought little benefit. Many of us reduced the time we spent weaving and turned to other jobs, as clients did not value the time, creativity, and skill required to make our beautiful products.

We first learned weaving when we were young, taught by our parents and neighbors. At that time, weaving was more of a tradition than a way to improve our lives.

After learning about how Azizi Life partners with artisan groups, we decided to join together and form Kora Ubeho. Our goal was to strengthen our existing skills, gain new knowledge, and build our future prosperity on the craft we had inherited.

Working with Azizi Life has transformed our lives. We are now paid fairly for our work, we have improved our skills, and we continue to learn new techniques. Through this partnership, we have also built strong friendships, shared advice, and learned the value of working together in love and unity.

Among the products we weave, we especially love the Giko woven bowls, which are made with a single color. Their simple beauty and uniqueness do not require a mix of colors. We also treasure the sisal peace basket in its traditional design, as it connects us to our childhood, when most of us first learned to weave. Today, we produce a variety of items including sisal bowls, baskets, and trivets.

Our secret is that we weave with care to preserve the beauty and diversity of traditional designs from our village. We are also training our children so that this profession will not disappear. With the encouragement of the government of Rwanda for young people to be self-employed, we want our children to build on the skills they have inherited while also taking advantage of their education.

When we think of our customers, we imagine the joy they feel when they see our work, perhaps even wishing they could make such items themselves. If we ever had the chance to meet them, we would thank them deeply for being true partners and changemakers in our journey toward a better life.