Imigongo (cow dung art) Experience

From: $70.00

Book your Experience Day below.
All are welcome- choose any day of the week! Groups of two or more adult guests: $90 per person; Children ages 5-15: visit for only $70 per child.  Young children under 5: visit for free!  Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount.  We offer special East Africa Resident rates as well! To learn more, please email us at experiences@azizilife.com.

Your visit makes a difference! In addition to a fair wage for your hosts, 5% of your entire payment is donated to Impact projects.

Years ago in the time of the Rwandan Kings, there once was a prince who decided to decorate his house by molding geometric shapes onto the wall of his hut using cow dung.  In time, this technique was developed into a popular form of traditional Rwandan art called “Imigongo.”  During your Experience, you will learn the history and technique of Imigongo art and then make your own piece to take away with you.

At noontime, you’ll share a simple local meal with your artisan teacher, with plenty of time to chat and learn about each other’s lives. After lunch, it is back to your own work of art with sanding and painting.  You will love being with the artisan, and we can assure you whilst you work together you will also be laughing together.

The day finishes with a cold Fanta and a chance to think back over the highlights of the day. You can browse through some of the other beautiful crafts made by the Azizi Life artisans and do a little fair trade shopping.

To book your own Experience and spend a day becoming a traditional Rwandan Artist:

  1. Who is Coming? Choose your adult guests.
  2. Choose the number of adult guests coming.
  3. Select Add to Cart.
  4. Repeat this process for each age group of guests.
  5. At checkout in the comments section please put the date you would will visit.

Coming with young children?  Kids under 5 join in for free!  Just let us know in the Notes section of your checkout.  We love including toddlers and little ones in the day and even have specialist facilitators.

For discounts on groups of more than 9 guests, or if you would simply like a bit more information, please do not hesitate to email us on experiences@azizilife.com or call us in Rwanda on +250-7858-1146.  

This Experience starts from Azizi Life’s office & boutique in Byimana, Ruhango (about one and a half hours drive from Kigali).  We would be happy to help arrange transport to Azizi Life Ruhango and so if you need that, just let us know.

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Description

Example Schedule: Imigongo (cow dung art) Experience 

09.00 Welcome & Introduction at Azizi Life in Ruhango.
09.20 Introduction to the experts in cow dung paintings.  They then explain the history of this king’s art in Rwanda.
09.35 Preparation of raw materials needed to create your own Imigongo art.
09.40 Guided by your translator together with the artisan, you will learn how to craft the foundation of your painting.
12.00 Lunch:  We will serve a cooked vegetarian meal typical for local families, such as cassava, sweet potatoes and beans.
This is a good time to ask experts artisans about life in their community.  They may have questions for you too about life in your home country.
13.30 Continue to work on your painting by sanding, painting and making it look beautiful!
15.00 Close your Imigongo Experience day with a cold drink and a chance to reflect on your Experience.
15.15 Finally, there will be opportunity to peruse all of the beautiful, handcrafted goods on offer from our artisan partners- including the cooperative of your artisan teacher!  This is a wonderful way to gather gifts and souvenirs which you can be confident are fair trade and making an impact.

How to Prepare for Your Visit:

  • Men may wear trousers or shorts. Women should wear trousers or a skirt that covers the knees, as Rwandan women usually don’t show their knees.
  • We recommend that you wear closed-toed shoes: Walking shoes are useful on the paths, which can be steep and slippery.
  • Be prepared to spend time in the sun.
  • Bring a camera or video camera if you wish; the artisans won’t mind.
  • Bring reading glasses if you need them for craft work.
  • There will be a translator with you; feel free to ask as many questions as you wish.
  • Please let us know in advance if you have any food allergies. Food served may contain nuts.
  • Ensure that you have health insurance to cover your visit. We do all we can to ensure your safety during your visit. In the case of an accident, we will ensure you get appropriate medical attention. However, you must cover the costs through your insurance.

You Should Also Know That:

  • You will be supplied by Azizi Life with plenty of bottled drinking water.
  • The food is thoroughly cooked: no previous visitors have become ill after eating it. However, if you prefer not to eat, or to eat just a little, you will not offend your host.
  • Soap and water are available for washing your hands.
  • We provide first aid kit, hand sanitizer and toilet paper.
  • The artisans are a lovely group of men, young and older. They know that you are coming to gain an understanding of what rural this art is like in Rwanda and will encourage you to join in with each step to get your own painting.
  • Very occasionally, in the community, a neighbor may ask you for money. People often ask each other for money here, and are not offended by a refusal. They are all the more likely to ask a white visitor, as Rwandans often think that white people are fabulously rich. If asked for money, it is best to say no. Your visit is already benefiting the community: the artisan group earn a fair wage for your visit, often saving their payment in a joint account and then spending it on something substantial such as a cow. Their families benefit directly, and so does the wider community. This is because a host will often pay a neighbor to work her fields while she is busy hosting your visit. Additionally, we donate 5% of tourism revenues to our local nonprofit, Azizi Life Impact, for community development work.