by Guest Blogger, Author, and Azizi Life Experiences Guest Trillia Newbell This past [October] I joined five storytellers in Rwanda to meet the incredible men and women served by HOPE International and capture stories. The stories are wonderfully encouraging but their lives were a lesson to me. On Tuesday [of our trip], we drove out with another […]
Will you tell me your story? She nods, folds her hands in her lap, and stares off. “I left my village and went to Kigali to sell my baskets. That night the President’s plane went down.” The day was April 6th, 1994.
By guest blogger Loren Hamilton Ankara (On-car-uh). Kitenge (Ki-tang-eh). Dutch Wax. Wax Print. African Fabric. Familiar words to describe a large piece of cloth full of bright colors and patterns, commonly seen decorating women across sub-Saharan Africa. In Rwanda, the fabric is wrapped as a work apron or sewn into beautiful garments for celebrations. But where […]
By Felix NIZEYIMANA, Azizi Life Staff Writer Each year Azizi Life hosts an Artisan Council, where we gather representatives from all of our partnering artisan groups, including weavers, woodcarvers, seamstresses, beekeepers, and candle makers. The yearly meeting is held at the Azizi Life head office, but this year’s attendance warranted an event tent and we […]
By Claudine Tuyisenge, Azizi Life Staff Writer There’s always hope with God – even after a bitter life. Michael Iraguha was born in 1990 in the Southern Province of Rwanda. He is a young man, is happily married, and has one two-year-old son. He was raised in a happy home with his four siblings. This same […]
By Jean Pierre MBARUBUKEYE Photo Source: igihe.com Rwandans have celebrated the Fourth of July since 1994. It’s not Independence Day, as that is celebrated on July 1st and honors the country’s independence from Belgian colonial rule in 1962. In Rwanda, the Fourth of July is Liberation Day. Liberation Day is a national holiday celebrating the […]
Story by Claudine Tuyisenge “We are all able. I can’t adjust the wind, but I can adjust the sails to always reach my destination. Disability is not an obstacle to success.” Jean De Dieu Nsengiyumva (Jado) sits at a table proudly displaying his hand-carved wooden ornaments. A member of the Inganzo Cooperative based in Muhanga […]
Interview by Natalie Imanishimwe “My name is Francine Mukamabano. I was born in 1983. I am a potter. I live with my four sons and three of us are potters. I create different clay products including candle plates, candle pots and vases, oil diffusers, and piggy banks. I love everything I make but mostly I […]
By Zuberi Bihangamanywa After the death of her husband, Seraphine had to find a way to provide for herself and her five children. As a housewife, she had been busy caring for the children and running the household while her husband provided financially for the family. Apart from agricultural work, she had no work and […]
RWANDA It’s tax season in Rwanda and around the world, which means lots of paperwork in Rwanda and the US. Please pray we are able to report everything we need to accurately and clearly without any errors. This April marks 25 years since the Genocide against the Tutsi. Please pray for the nation during […]
By Jean Pierre Mbarubukeye One night in 1994, twenty-three-year-old Sperathe Uwiragiye found herself in the house of man that she barely knew, forced into a marriage that she never consented to. Just a few hours earlier, she and a friend had been walking home when Sperathe’s friend introduced her to the man that would become […]
‘I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace in this world. You will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world’ John 16:33 RWANDA There are tensions between Uganda and Rwanda – these have been bubbling under the surface for some time. Rwanda has now advised […]
Our Artisan
Partners
Azizi Life partners with over 30 independent groups in Rwanda - over 500 artisans... and growing! Rising from the horrors of genocide, artisans from all backgrounds have joined together once again through their art. With their fair trade income, parents are caring for the health, nutrition, and education of their children. Families are building better homes. Women are rising out of crippling dependency to become contributors in their communities. Our artisan partners have a vision to be leaders for wholeness in their community, and we are privileged to partner with them.
Our
Products
Azizi Life offers a range of products skillfully crafted from locally-sourced, natural fibers such as sisal, banana leaf, and forest grasses. Our line of baskets highlights some of the best of Rwandan traditional and modern design. Artisans and designers collaborate to create new designs and products in our lines of baskets, home goods, and holiday décor.
Our Mission
Azizi Life is a faith-based social enterprise in Rwanda committed to sustainability, collaboration, and putting people first – artisans and customers alike. Founded in 2008 under the international NGO Food for the Hungry, Azizi Life has become a bridge to connect hardworking artisans to the global market. In addition to flourishing sales in Rwanda, Azizi Life offers products to US customers from our warehouse in Spokane, Washington, as well as FOB sales directly from Rwanda.
