Remembering Rwanda: The Straw Weaver

Mr. B met this woman in Kigali. Her crippled body belies her youth. She is only 25 years old but suffers from a condition that has caused her tiny frame to be stuck in a stiff, crouched position. Her short fingers are bent and shriveled. One of their in-country hosts introduced Mr. B and his team to her. They looked on in awe as she demonstrated how she has trained her hands and fingers to work together to weave thin, flimsy strands of straw into durable woven goods. Years ago, a friend taught her to weave. Despite her physical limitations, she now helps to support herself and her sister (she lives in a small mud house with her sister who is a single mother to 5 children) by weaving handbags and mats and selling them to customers referred by her neighbors. A handbag takes her a week to make. A 4'x7' mat takes a month. Mr. B purchased a mat. How much does she charge for a month’s labor? About $8US.

Our mat represents one month of this precious woman’s life. I am amazed to look at her picture, and look at our mat, and think of how each fiber was touched and shaped with her little hands. Her story is woven into its perfectly-formed rows and intricate patterns. I am thankful that someone took the time to teach this sweet woman a skill she can use to create things of utility and beauty, to help support herself and her family, and to give her a sense of dignity, self-worth and accomplishment in the face of adversities.

There are few opportunities for disabled people in Rwanda, as my husband learned first-hand when he visited the Gahanga orphanage for the disabled. Not only are they physically disadvantaged, but they must also cope with social exclusion, stigma and superstitious beliefs that they are cursed. They are truly “the least of these” in Rwandan society.

Through her handicraft, this young woman has found one way to rise above her disability. I pray that she will be blessed and come to know Jesus. I pray that her example will help her friends, family and neighbors to see potential and value in Rwanda’s physically and mentally challenged citizens and that Rwanda’s misunderstanding of and discomfort with this segment of its population will subside. And our mat will also be a reminder to me to take the time to invest in others and to not focus on a person’s limitations, but to appreciate their potential and the beauty of each human life.