Peace Baskets
Peace baskets are a symbol of hope and a blessing of peace. In a country that has experienced unspeakable horrors and devestating loss, the peace basket acts as a reminder and a dream for the future. In times of war people spend every second making weapons and killing and there is no time for basket weaving, but when the land is at peace then the baskets are abundant.
There are numerous places that make peace baskets for sale. We suggest buying from stores and cooperatives that support vulnerable groups like battered women, households run by children, and various special needs groups. Some of these groups can be found in the Business Directory. For instance, the Mothers Union and the Fair Children Youth Foundation are both special needs groups that sell peace baskets and other various Rwandan goods. See the Business Directory for more location and operations information.
Honey
Although a smaller cash crop, beekeeping is slowly prospering in the Musanze area. Rwanda has a very good quality honey that could easily compete on any available market, but due to traditional ways of extraction the production is slow. These traditional ways of beekeeping are largely due to a lack of knowledge about the industry in general. For instance, most farmers simply carve out a hole for the hive inside a tree trunk without knowing the behavior of the African bee or harvesting techniques. Finances can also be an issue since beekeeping is expensive to start up and maintain. Without financial backing, farmers cannot hope to cultivate a budding investment or eventually expand their business.
Coffee
With the high altitude, consistent climate, and rich volcanic soil, it’s no wonder that Rwanda produces some of the world’s finest coffee. Rwandan coffee beans have such a rich color with a wide variety of flavors to them, such as passion fruit, chocolate, and cherry tones.
Coffee was first introduced in the early 1900s by German missionaries and, in the 1930s, coffee became one of the major incomes for people living in rural areas. The export eventually played a large part in the economic development of Rwanda because it was one of the few cash crops grown other than pyrethrum. But, with the collapse of the world coffee prices at the international market level, the push to export dwindled quickly. Although it is still a significant industry, coffee is no longer the giant money maker it once was.
Tea
Like coffee, due to the high elevation and consistent climate, Rwandan tea is known all over the world as a superior tea. Good acidic volcanic soils in the North and South of Rwanda give the tea a brisk and flavorful taste, and because of the fair and steady climate tea production goes on all year, causing it to do very well in the international markets.
Tea is the largest export in Rwanda with export earnings reaching US $18 million plus since 2002. This equates to 15,000 tons of dried tea. However, with only four tea units established along the Congo-Nile crest, there is still a huge potential for the tea industry to expand.