THE MUGARURA WOMEN BASKET WEAVING GROUP
Mugarura women basket weaving group is a self help group of lady weavers located in rural Masindi district west of Uganda. The group is behind our beautiful fair trade baskets.
Most of the basket weavers are small household farmers who rely on farming as a source of income however this has become difficult to rely on because of the climatic changes. Basket weaving has therefore become an alternative source of income to sustain their livelihood. They are able to buy food, clothes and pay school fees from the income they earn from basket weaving.
The baskets are carefully handmade with sustainable products "sisal" and they are mostly designed by the artisans with a fusion of contemporary design.
Each time you hold one of our products, you can feel the passion and talent of each artisans.
Our social impact working with the weavers;
Emaali provides work for about 40 weavers and thereby supporting the local communities. We maintain long-term relationships with the weavers.Our supply chain is completely transparent and the products don't require investment from the artisans.
Emaali provides 50 % advance payments to producers on orders and the other 50 % is paid when the products are finished.
In the design process, Emaali works together with the artisans taking into account their skills and capacity.
Meet Gift Ginyua our master basket weaver. She is 65 years of age and is an active member of the Anglican Church in her community.
She has trained most of the young women how to weave the baskets. She has no children of her own but looks after 4 children that are orphans.
Asked how she learnt how to weave, She says basket weaving was taught to her by her mother who was taught by her grandmother who was also taught by her great grandmother.
Basket weaving is passed down through generations.
These unique baskets are made out of sisal which is grown either on farms belonging to the basket weavers, or else purchased from sisal growers. The leaves of the sisal plant are used to obtain a fibre which is rolled to twine, and then woven to a basket.
The ladies from the dye the fibres to different colours of choice using food colour and then roll the twine on their lap. Making baskets is a very labour intensive art. The baskets come in a number of different colours and patterns, with each design entirely made up by the ladies
