Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace Baskets Help Families and Build Stronger Communities for the People of Rwanda

I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation in the form of the beautiful Baskets from Rwanda  for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Since 2005 Macy's has been selling hand-crafted baskets from Rwanda, this year marks the 10 year anniversary of something truly special and they celebrated in a big way - with a Rwanda Path to Peace pre-sale on their beautiful line of baskets, hand-made by the hard-working people of Rwanda! It's hard to imagine the journey the baskets (and these women) have been on; it's as though each of these baskets is a weaving together of cultures, a reconciliation of sorts - and that's what makes these colorful baskets even more beautiful. Basket-weaving allowing former enemies to come together and make something beautiful, I'm all for a Path to Peace for Rwanda...

After the terrible events that took place in the 90's, Rwanda and Macy's are trying to focus on the future. By focusing on poverty reduction through job creation, improved incomes, access to global markets and job skill training, the women of Rwanda can help lift their family (and their entire community) out of poverty. Macy's didn't want to offer the women a "hand out", but instead wanted to assist the strong and capable women with a hand up and that's' exactly what they are still doing 10 years later...

The purchase of each item from Rwanda provides the basket weavers an opportunity to improve their quality of life and puts a one-of-a-kind craft directly into your hands, it's a win-win situation for all involved! With the basket weavers earning nearly TEN times the average Rwandan wage, it's a huge help to the families in need.

As you can imagine, each women tediously works to hand weave these baskets; with such intricate detail and a process that has been practiced in Rwanda for centuries - these baskets are truly a treasure. Each design is unique and painstakingly created from sisal and grass by women who learned to weave from their mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and other maternal figures.

The project employs thousands of weavers who are organized throughout Rwanda. What's amazing about this fact is that every group consists of women from both sides of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide conflict, working side by side. This proves that anyone and everyone is capable of working together towards economic stability.

With beautiful red hues and stunning intricate patterns, I absolutely adore my new baskets and will begin collecting these baskets each year - because helping out a good cause and indulging my basket hoarding habit are two fun ways to kick off the holidays! Plus, each basket is signed by it's creator, giving me an indirect look into the life of the strong women in Rwanda.

Do you want to give a gift this year that truly gives back? Get all the details on these beautiful baskets and snag one for yourself and your favorite friend here.

Are you interested in getting your hands on the same baskets I have pictured? The red basket on the top (in the photo below) is Macy's Special Commemorative Basket, woven to represent 10 years of peace and prosperity and is absolutely beautiful. The bottom basket is the shining star fruit basket and it's absolutely stunning as well, no matter which basket you get from Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace program, I'm certain you'll love it!

Want to find more awesome gifts to give over the holidays?

Check out my holiday gift guide!