At Love Welcomes, we are proud to introduce a new partner in Africa — Talking Through Art in Rwanda — as we expand our support for women who have been displaced and excluded from work.
This partnership is rooted in something simple, yet powerful: the belief that creativity can restore dignity, build livelihoods, and create space for healing.
Stories that Stay with You
Recently, Petr Kočnar, founder of Talking Through Art, sat with Emilienne as she shared her story. She lost both of her parents and siblings during the Rwandan Genocide. In the years that followed, she was raised by her aunt and cousins — a new family formed through love and resilience.
Paralyzed from the waist down due to polio, Emilienne had long faced exclusion and limitation.
She shared:
“At first I did not know anyone, but now I feel I am at home… I have a job.”
What stayed with him most was this — Emilienne told him she has found another family at Talking Through Art.
Here, through the weaving of each basket, she has found safety. Acceptance. Friendship. Laughter. A place where she belongs.
Honoring the Makers
Behind each woven piece is a woman rebuilding her life — with strength, creativity, and determination.
Emilienne
A survivor of polio, she walks with crutches but carries endless energy and joy. She quickly became one of the most skilled and detail-oriented weavers at TTA, known for her perfect technique. Living at the TTA house, she welcomes visitors with confidence and warmth. Her beautiful smile and dedication remind everyone that disability is not inability — it is strength in another form.
Jeanne
Jeanne joined Talking Through Art in 2015 after losing her arm in a car accident. Left alone to raise her children, she once hid behind her window, watching life pass by. But when she came to TTA, everything changed. She learned to weave with one arm — creating stunning baskets and inspiring everyone who meets her. Today, Jeanne manages the TTA shop, speaks English confidently, and works alongside her daughters. Her journey proves that courage and determination can weave beauty out of pain.
Honorine
In the Muhanga villages, Honorine stands tall in spirit. She leads the women of TTA with kindness and determination, bringing people together through her strength and care. Known for her incredible speed in weaving and her bright smile, she inspires everyone around her.
Through her work, Honorine built her own home and became a respected woman in her community — a powerful reminder that strength comes in all sizes.
More Than Baskets
These artful baskets are more than objects for the home.
They carry stories of survival and strength. They represent women rebuilding their lives — together. They hold moments of laughter, shared work, and quiet healing.
They are also meant to be lived with. Hang them as an impactful wall display — layered together to create a story of texture, pattern, and place. Style them on your table as a centerpiece or trivet — a beautiful and functional piece to rest your tea kettle. Use them to hold what matters — fruit, bread, or the small valuables you reach for each day. In every setting, they bring warmth, purpose, and connection into the home.
Talking Through Art was created to support women with disabilities who were often excluded from work and forced into begging. Today, it is a place of skill-building, income, and community — where women support one another and grow together.
SHOP RWANDA BASKETS
A Time of Remembrance
Each year, Rwanda enters a 100-day period of remembrance beginning in April, marking the anniversary of 1994.
It is a time to honor the lives lost — and to stand with those who continue to carry the weight of what happened.
Today, many survivors still live with lasting physical disabilities from injuries, and an estimated one in four people experience post-traumatic stress. The impact is not only remembered. It is present — in bodies, in memories, and in daily life.
Carrying Forward
At Love Welcomes, we hold these stories with care.
Through this partnership, and through each woven piece, we honor not only what was taken — but the courage it takes to keep going.
To rebuild. To gather again in community. To create something beautiful, even after loss. And to find, even now, a place to belong.