East African Business Week

Kigali, Rwanda - Rwandan handicraft artists will now get help from government to have their crafts exposed to international markets.
This was revealed by the Trade and Industry Minister, Francois Kanimba, while officiating at the ceremony of the 1st Handcraft Awards that took place in Kigali recently.
"I am going to get you a place for the exhibition of your artistic work which will give you exposure and market for your products," the Minister said, adding that the awards will be given more often in a bid to promote handcraft business to international markets.
The Handcraft Excellence Award Programme (HEAP) is a new initiative, a brain child of the Trade Ministry which is aimed at encouraging craft producers to make innovative, competitive market driven quality markets.  Over 50 artists were awarded at the function. Rwanda's handicrafts industry is based on indigenous knowledge mainly carried out in cottage industries that employ a large number of the rural population, largely women.
Some of its subsectors are painting, carpentry, decoration, hides and leather work, metalwork, stonework and pottery among others. Kamaliza, one of the artisans noted that the awards were a motivation that is going to spur growth in the handcraft industry.