Tea
The land of a thousand hills is a true paradise for tea lovers. Drunk black with a lot of milk and sugar, it is the favourite drink of Rwandans. Children start drinking it at a very young age. The tea plantations on the high plateaus of Rwanda are countless. The acidic soil combined with the high humidity is a particularly favourable environment for the development of the precious leaves. The quality of Rwandan tea is renowned throughout the world to such an extent that most of the harvest is destined for export. Production is booming. In 2019, it has reached 30,000 t, which is 500 times more than in the 1960s. In the Land of a Thousand Hills, black tea is found almost exclusively. It is simply fermented green tea leaves. Leaving Rwanda without taking a bit of the precious local beverage in your suitcase is almost criminal! Here, tea can be found everywhere, directly from the plantations, but also in local shops and supermarkets. Icing on the cake, it is generally cheap, count about 300 FRw for 100 g, or 0.30 €. It can be bought in bulk in large cardboard bags or as individual tea bags.
Coffee
Less popular than tea, Rwandan coffee is nevertheless delicious. The country of a thousand hills harvests about 19,000 tons of it every year, a production almost exclusively for export. Ninety-seven percent of Rwandan coffee beans leave the country for Switzerland, Belgium or the United States. In contrast to the often gigantic tea plantations, coffee cultivation is a matter for small producers. Thanks to the volcanic soil and regular rainfall, the beans are particularly rich in aroma and slightly acidic. As with tea, it can be found very easily in small shops or supermarkets. One of the sure values is the coffee of Maraba. Produced through fair trade, it is renowned for its exceptional quality.
Basketry
One of Rwanda's remarkable arts is undoubtedly basketry. This ancestral technique consists of making objects by weaving plant fibres such as banana leaves, bamboos and reeds. Here basketry is very often practiced with sisal leaves, a spicy plant related to the agave. In the past, this art was reserved for young girls from good families. Mastering this talent was an asset to make a strong impression on a future husband. Today basketry is practiced by representatives of both sexes. Men are in charge of making large pieces such as the ceilings of huts while women are in charge of making small utilitarian objects such as baskets or mats. Traditional basketry items such as agaseke, the small baskets with pointed lids used to store jewellery, are readily available in markets and souvenir shops.
An imigongo
It is a relief painting with geometric patterns made from cow dung. Imigongo is a traditional art practiced by women in the Rusumo region, in the extreme south-east of the country. It almost disappeared during the 1994 genocide, which took away most of the women who mastered this complex technique. Fortunately, a few survivors set up an association in 1997 to save this art and pass it on to the next generations. The imigongo motifs are modelled with a mixture of ashes and cow dung before being covered with paint. The pigments used come from natural elements such as earth or crushed plants. To purchase a piece of artwork, you can go directly to imigongo women's associations and some markets in the south of the country.
A pottery
The Rwandan soil being very rich in clay, it is quite naturally that pottery has imposed itself in the land of a thousand hills. Basically, it was mainly about making utilitarian objects such as kitchen utensils or containers. However, since colonization, Rwandan pottery has evolved and diversified, often becoming purely decorative. In particular, there are many ceramic vases or candleholders. If you would like to see how these objects are made, you can visit the Gatagara production workshop near Nyanza or go to the Kacyiru craft cooperative in Kigali. Prices range from 1,500 FRw (1.50 €) for a cup to about 7,000 FRw (7 €) for a vase.
A kitenge
This brightly coloured African fabric is omnipresent in Rwanda and more generally in East Africa. Traditionally, it is worn as a loincloth around the waist. Some women wrap it around the chest, use it as a turban or as a baby carrier. Usually covered with geometric patterns, it is sometimes decorated with a proverb written in capital letters. Kitenge is often confused with wax. While it is true that the colors and patterns of these two African fabrics are quite similar, kitenge is much lighter. It is easily found in all markets of the country, raw or already transformed into clothing. For an original and unique creation, don't hesitate to buy a piece of fabric at the market before calling on a local seamstress. You can also find pretty kitenge bags.
An igisabo
They are in fact gourds, a kind of large squash that are hollowed out and put to dry. Traditionally, they were used as containers to store dried beans or rice. Thanks to their attractive orange colour, they are nowadays appreciated as a decorative object. They can be found hanging on the stalls of most of the country's markets. They are inexpensive, but have the disadvantage of being bulky and inconvenient to carry in a suitcase.
An embroidery of Rutongo
In the 1970s, the small village of Rutongo was home to a Belgian religious community, the Sisters of the Visitation. At that time, Sister Zoé and Sister Lucienne decided to create an embroidery workshop and to train the young girls of the village in this art. In a few years, the two sisters developed a know-how unequalled in Africa and their embroidery was exported all over the world. However, the workshops did not survive the 1994 genocide, as the two sisters left the country in a hurry to return to Belgium. In 2012, three French women will make the audacious bet to revive the workshop by employing local embroiderers. The success is total and the productions of the cooperative of Rutongo are once again an international reference in the field of hand embroidery. Today, the workshop provides a living for nearly 400 people and the salary offered to the embroiderers is quite respectable. You can find a large choice of tablecloths, sheets, handkerchiefs or paintings embroidered with African or Western designs.
A wooden sculpture
In Rwanda, nothing is lost, everything is transformed. When a tree is felled, the wood that is not used for construction can be used to make musical instruments or wooden sculptures. Some local artists have thus decided to make working with this material their specialty. In their dusty workshops, they use small, sharp knives to make figures. They are often women with voluptuous curves, but sometimes also African faces or masks. Unlike in some African countries, woodcarving is not a mass industry in Rwanda. The pieces are often unique or produced in small quantities. The finishes and details are meticulous.
A game of isogoro
This is the Rwandan version of a traditional African board game based on reflection and calculation: awalé. Each player has in front of him a wooden board with six holes and forty-eight seeds or sometimes small stones. There are different rules and variants of the game of isogoro but the goal is always the same: to collect as many seeds as possible without being captured by your opponent. On the markets or in the craft cooperatives, you can find pretty isogoro trays made of carved wood.
A traditional musical instrument
The most music-loving among you will be able to acquire a Rwandan musical instrument. The most typical, but certainly the most cumbersome, is the inaga, a long curved wooden plank crossed by eleven strings whose appearance and sound is similar to a zither. Beware, the practice of the inaga is far from being innate and it will take you long hours of practice before you get a slightly melodious result. If string instruments do not find favour with your eyes, the other option is to turn to the ingoma, a traditional drum. The soundboard is usually made from the trunk of a tree and covered with a stretched animal skin.
A jewel
Although jewellery is not really the speciality of the country, more and more small craftsmen are successfully starting to make costume jewellery. Fabric earrings, recycled brass bracelets, banana fiber necklaces... Kigali is full of young and daring designers. The materials used are rarely noble but the jewellery is nevertheless of good quality. By merging traditional African style with more modern influences, you get unique and very trendy pieces. Downtown Kigali is full of small designer shops where you can find original and cheap jewellery.
An ingabo
This small, slightly curved shield is traditionally carved from wood and decorated with geometric patterns. Light and handy, it is part of the traditional costume of the Intore dancers who swirl it over their heads during ceremonies and shows. Today, it is mainly considered a decorative object to dress the walls of houses. The term ingabo is also sometimes used to refer to the Rwandan army.
A fashion accessory
In Kigali, many small designers have specialized in the manufacture of fashion accessories. It must be said that young Rwandan women, particularly coquettish, are on the lookout for the latest trends. Patterned pouches, wax bandanas or even handbags made of woven fibres, you will find beautiful original pieces mixing African tradition and Western fashion. The prices are very affordable even for unique pieces, you should not hesitate to push the door of designer shops.
