Rwanda Path to Peace Supports A Business With Purpose

This is a sponsored post.

Give a woman a fish and she’ll eat for a day. Teach a woman to fish and she will eat for the rest of her life.

That is one of my favorite quotes. Why? Because we all want a purpose and be able to support ourselves and our families. This gives people hope.

Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace

Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace is an organization that wants to give hope to the women who witnessed one of the worst genocides in human history. With their husbands and fathers killed, the women found themselves suddenly thrust into the role of sole breadwinner for their families.

To have stories of hope and faith come out of that awfulness, is well…exciting!!

Giving Gifts With Purpose

I like the idea of gift giving with purpose. The women of Rwanda create these ornaments (and there are a lot more products you can purchase on the Gifts that Give Hope site) to support their families. This is a business that gives the women hope. A future for their children and families.

Through the Path to Peace trade program, Macy’s is providing a sustainable income for these women. Imagine what it means for a women to be able to provide food for her children and a roof over their head for the first time.

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How It All Started

Weaving the baskets and creating a business was something the women could do. They took an active role in the aftermath of the horrible acts they saw.

There was one American woman, Willa Shalit, a social entrepreneur, artist, and activist, who vowed to help these women after seeing their woven baskets. In 2005, she took the baskets to the Macy’s executives who gave their commitment to sell the products and to go into business with the weavers of Rwanda.

This provided the women a hand up and not a hand out. I love that! That is so powerful. I try to put myself in the place of these women and how that must feel. Which is why I’m sharing this story.

Few Facts of the Path to Peace Program

Here are a few facts that I found interesting about the Macy’s Path to Peace program in Rwanda.

• It is one of the first “trade not aid” programs. This means it is not a charity, but rather a business initiative where there are incentives for both sides to keep the business going.
• Path to Peace is one of the longest running program of its kind going on 10 years.
• The weavers earn 10x what the average wage is in Rwanda.
• There has been a decrease in overall violence since the program began. Many sides who were enemies before have found peace with each other through this program.
• Children who were malnourished and sick 10 years ago are now thriving adults with food, medicine and an education. Many are heading to university.

Just these five facts are reason enough to gift gifts with a purpose.

Women Of Rwanda & #PathToPeace Stories

Here are a few videos that touched my heart and give you more information about Macy’s Path to Peace program.

Bit of History

One Woman’s Story

How The Baskets Are Weaved

Let’s Discuss Path to Peace!

Head over to the Macy’s and look at their Gifts That Give Hope Shop. Leave me a link to your favorite product.

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Disclosure: This is a Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace sponsored post. I received the ornament in the photos above in exchange for this post. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.