Across the thousand hills of Rwanda, groups of women are sitting together, weaving sisal baskets in the traditional way. The sisal fiber is extracted from the long leaf of a plant that resembles aloe. When the green fleshy part of the leaf is stripped away, white string-like fibers remain. These fibers are cleaned and dried, cooked in dye, and then woven into traditional forms- such as the peaked peace basket, or less traditional forms- like earrings or napkin rings. The peace basket is still used in Rwanda for special gift giving. Many local homes have these baskets proudly displayed, or put to practical use holding dry goods like beans or rice.
The Handcrafted Details
- An artisan weaves for 4-5 days to complete one basket.
- Hand-woven from natural sisal fibers.
- The naturally-white fibers are dyed with Rwandan tea leaves, creating a 100% natural product.
- Approximately 9 inches tall.
- Care: Dust with a dry cloth.
Azizi Life's Profile
Our Mission
Azizi Life is a fair-trade organization which partners with Rwandan artisans to bring beautifully designed, hand-crafted goods to the world. As a not-for-profit organization, Azizi Life is dedicated to the wellbeing of our artisan partners and their families. In addition to opening economic opportunity through fair trade, Azizi Life invests in a range of community impact projects. Our Rwandan-led team facilitates adult literacy classes and offers other practical resources for personal, spiritual, and economic growth.
Our Artisan Partners
Across the hills of Rwanda, groups of rural artisans are working to bring hope to their families through skillfully handcrafted goods. Azizi Life partners with over 30 independent groups- a total of over 500 artisan partners. Rising from the horrors of genocide, artisans from all backgrounds have joined together once again through their craft. Each artisan cooperative specializes in hand crafting products using specific techniques and raw materials. Azizi Life is honored to partner with these women and men, collaborating to connect makers, designers, and customers around the world.
Our Products
We love serving your vision for beauty and meaning in the gifts you give, what you wear, and how you decorate. Azizi Life serves as a bridge, partnering with artisans and designers to offer high quality, ethically sourced goods for life and gifting. Products are crafted by hand using local, natural, and renewable materials. Our modern and traditional collections include baskets, woven bowls, home décor, tabletop, woven jewelry, and bags. Azizi Life offers products to US customers from our warehouse in Spokane, Washington, as well as FOB sales directly from Rwanda.