KIGALI - The much revered Rwandan traditional crafts can now be obtained online after a UK-based company launched a website where clients can purchase a range of products which can then be sent to them from wherever they are around the world.

The Newcastle-based company, Beauty of Rwanda, which was founded by Salha L Kaitesi, a Rwandan woman living in the UK, promotes the Rwandan peace basket commonly known as Agaseke which has since gained popularity around the world as well as original apparels, jewellery and artefacts made in Rwanda.

Kaitesi, who lives in Newcastle, said she was inspired to start marketing the products on the site which has since gained popularity by the "hard working men and women of Rwanda”.

"The company’s aim is to promote and sell Rwandan crafts. By selling these products, we will economically uplift these men, women and their children from poverty through the making of handcrafts that include basket weaving and bead work,”

"The crafts are sold on the company’s website www.beautyofrwanda.com which was launched on 11 November 2010. Crafts are posted out to customers worldwide after being purchased online,” say Kaitesi.

She added that the aim of Beauty of Rwanda is to preserve, restore, develop and enrich the Rwandan traditional heritage for the next generation and empowering women who survived the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
"They are the weavers of all the beautiful crafts that we sell,” she says.

The Rwandan peace basket is already a big hit in Europe, US and Asia and one of the leading exports of the country.

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