the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founders of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
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Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founders of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
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Joy Ndungutse, co-founder Gahaya Links (Rwanda)
Joy Ndungutse, co-founder Gahaya Links (Rwanda)
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- Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 5,000 weavers across the country, organised into around 52 cooperatives that help provide much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
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Janet Nkubana, co-founder of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
- Janet Nkubana, co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives with her sister Joy Ndungutse shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 4,000 weavers across the country, organised into around 52 cooperatives that help provide much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
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Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, founders of Gahaya Links (Rwanda)
- Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today Gahaya Links has grown to include over 5,000 women weavers in 52 different cooperatives across Rwanda, providing much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
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- Janet Nkubana, co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives with her sister Joy Ndungutse shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 4,000 weavers across the country, organised into around 52 cooperatives that help provide much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
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Janet Nkubana, co-founder of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
- Janet Nkubana, co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives with her sister Joy Ndungutse shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 4,000 weavers across the country, organised into around 52 cooperatives that help provide much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
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Top advice for women starting up?....
- Janet Nkubana, co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives with her sister Joy Ndungutse shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 4,000 weavers across the country, organised into around 52 cooperatives that help provide much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
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Willa Shalit, co-founder of Rwanda Path to Peace, Janet Nkubana, co-founder of Gahaya Links, and Terry J. Lundgren, Macy's chairman and CEO, attend Macy's 10th anniversary celebration of Rwanda Path to Peace at Macy's Herald Square in New York City. (Photo: Business Wire)
If there is one women-led, African social entreprise that springs to mind when we speak about the power of collaboration, it has to be Gahaya Links in Rwanda. The brainchild of sisters Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, this for-profit Rwandan handicraft company founded on the simple principle of women economic empowerment through fair-trade, is this month celebrating a decade-long partnership with the prestigious Macy’s retail group in the US, called the Rwanda Path to Peace initiative.
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Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founders of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
Joy Ndungutse the co-founder of Gahaya Links in Rwanda has been recognised with the prestigious Artisan Hero Award 2015 by the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, Aspen Global Health and Development, and The Aspen Institute. She was recognised for her wonderful work in creating an artisan-based, social enterprise that had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Congratulations to Joy, her sister and co-founder, Janet, and all the wonderful artisans who make up this inspirational co-operative, artisan project.
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Janet Nkubana, co-founder and managing director of Gahaya Links (Rwanda)
Source: Voice of America | 23 July 2015
In the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with thousands of families decimated, and many Rwandans left to fend for themselves, two intrepid sisters Janet Nkubana and Joy Ndungutse devised a way to help women become self-reliant.
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Janet Nkubana, co-founder of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
- Janet Nkubana co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives with her sister Joy Ndungutse shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 4,000 weavers across the country, organised into around 72 cooperatives that help provide much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
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Source: All Africa | 22 July 2015 | By Richard Mugarura
Janet Nkubana is co-founder of Gahaya links, a company that has empowered and supported Rwandan women through job creation. Nkubana's company is committed to restoring hope and dignity of women who were affected by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. From a humble beginning under a tree in the remote village of Byimana in the Southern Province, Gahaya Links started organizing women in associations that were later transformed into cooperatives.
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Janet Nkubana and Joy Ndungutse, founders of Gahaya Links, Rwanda
Rwandan social entrepreneurs and sisters, Janet Nkubana and Joy Ndungutse, are testimony to triumph over incredible adversity. They are an example of how women in that country are spearheading a new economic revival following the 1994 genocide which took the lives of 1 million people.
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- Janet Nkubana, co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives with her sister Joy Ndungutse shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. These inspiring sisters had a vision to turn ancient basket weaving skills into a source of livelihood for thousands of rural women. Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques. Today, Gahaya Links manages a network of over 4,000 weavers across the country, organised into around 52 cooperatives that help provide much needed income and stability. The sisters have successfully opened the business to international markets, partnering with the likes of Macy’s, Walmart, Oprah Magazine, and Kate Spade. Today, Gahaya Links "Peace Baskets” are sold and admired the world over.
Read moreSource: Walmart | Published on 7 March 2013
Walmart and Full Circle Exchange connect shoppers with quality products made by the network of women basket weavers in Rwanda, allowing customers to help the lives of their families and communities.
Read moreSource: EmergingStars TV | Published on 31 October 2013
Gahaya Links is for-profit Rwandan handicraft company based on the simple principle of women economic empowerment through fair-trade. "The vision of Gahaya Links is to empower rural communities to become entrepreneurs and earn better incomes to live with dignity among their communities."
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Janet Nkubana, co-founder of Gahaya Links (Rwanda)
Source: CNN | 22 June 2012
Inside the Gahaya Links workshop on the outskirts of Kigali, Rwanda's capital, a group of women sit side by side against a brightly-painted wall. Using natural fibers and grasses, they pool their weaving skills to create exquisite hand-made baskets, inspired by the eastern African country's art and tradition.
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