Ihangane -Ruli artisan cooperative members are glad of their progress due to the support from “The Ihangane Project.”
Ihangane-Ruli artisan cooperative is one among of the women who knit and do other types of hand-craft activities.
These ladies are sponsored by ’The Ihangane Project’ which enabled them to a sustainable and independent life for women with HIV and those at highest risk of HIV due to poverty.
The association was given the name ’Ihangane’means "hope" to the 27 members when it started the various crafting activities in 2009. Majority of the members were vulnerable women in worse poverty and some of them are HIV+ . In 2012, the cooperative got the name ’Ihangane-Ruli’ after being accredited by Rwanda cooperative agency (RCA).
Members of the cooperative Ihangane-Ruli are sponsored by the ’Ihangane project’ located in Ruli District hospital which initially provides trainings to the nurses from the Ruli District hospital on how to provide better health service care and providing some free fortified porridge to kids under 24 months who born from the HIV+ mothers in order to fight malnutrition.
The Ihangane Project also helps the artisans cooperative members to improve their skills of commerce, public speaking, accounting ownership and other areas that may improve their knowledge for them to reach the local and international market and meet various potential clients.
Women who joined this cooperative have accomplished so much so far as every member is able to afford medical insurance for their families, pay school fees for their children and even own some cattle.
Each year the cooperative participates in an international arts exhibition in Kigali.
All members of the cooperative are all in a happy environment, even those who are HIV infected have self confidence and are now accepted in the community, are doing well and are healthy.
One of the members who lives with AIDS confessed that if she had stayed in loneliness and poor life, she wouldn’t have lasted this long, but in the cooperative she was able to open up about her disease and was accepted by other member of the cooperative.
This cooperative’s workplace is in Gakenke District Ruli Sector , where they have a shop and take orders for making any type of handicraft.
For further information you may call:0782899380 and 0728906846 or visit our website at www.theihanganeproject.com
some of their products:
