Wooden Hand Carved Spoon Rest

In 2003, a community of Catholic nuns in Cyeza Parish provided training in woodcarving to two disabled members of the community. Those two men went on to train three others, and the Inganzo woodcarvers’ association was born. This Association specializes in carving wooden figures significant to faith or Rwandan culture, such as nativities or statues of Rwandans in the midst of daily life. They also carve wooden toys.

Rural life can be very tough, particularly for those who are physically challenged, and the income and dignity from Inganzo’s work has proved to be very significant for all seven of the group’s current members. So far the artisans of Inganzo have used the profit from their wood carving activities to buy small animals such as pigs and hens which they use to supplement their income from the sale of eggs and meat.  When they began, all of the members were single.  Now many of the men have been able to build homes, marry, and begin families.