Rising Star Woven Bowls

The Rising Star Bowl marks 15 years of helping African women gain a more prosperous and peaceful future. Our star is a representation of hope – a luminous beacon guiding the way. It is a sign of optimism, joy and a fresh start. Its unique pattern of warm earth tones is reminiscent of the stars twinkling in the night sky.

Check out the unique sizes and depths in this set! With a shared sense of hope for a better future, Rising International partnered with the ladies of Zamuka Cooperative in 2008 to bring beautiful Rwandan bowls to California. After months spent working out quality and logistics, the first official order of baskets was woven, packaged and shipped.

In a tribute to those early days spent under the banana trees together, we are excited to introduce the Rising Star bowl. Crafted with natural sisal and forest grasses, the Rising Star Bowl is a limited edition piece designed to create a calming atmosphere in any space. Whether you place it as a conversation starter in an entryway or as the center of attention on a kitchen island, this earth-toned bowl is sure to add a special touch to your home. With every bowl, weavers begin with the middle, carefully threading the sisal around and around and alternating colors to create this beautiful design. The tea color is created when the naturally-white sisal fibers are steeped in Rwandan-grown tea leaves! Celebrate your love for people, resilience and beauty with our artisan-made home décor and gifts. Azizi Life is committed to loving, fair trade, ethical relationships.

The Handcrafted Details - Each woven bowl has a loop on the back for hanging.

Medium-Large size: 14 inches across; 4 inches deep

Small-Medium size: 10 inches across.

Care: Wipe with a damp cloth.

Note: Azizi Life goods are crafted from natural and locally-available raw materials. As such, each product is unique and may vary slightly in size or shade of color. Woven products exposed to sun or water may fade or become more malleable with time.

Ethically crafted by a person in rural Rwanda. Includes a beautiful tag with the name of the artisan and their cooperative. Perfect for gift-giving—this special touch makes your purchase even more meaningful.

Azizi Life is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and committed to fair trade principles. Every product supports our community impact projects. 

Azizi Life | Fair Trade | Handmade in Rwanda

Azizi Life’s vision is to participate in local initiatives for the development of Rwandan communities, working towards physical and spiritual wholeness for all.

Across the hills of Rwanda, groups of rural artisans are working to bring hope to their families through skillfully handcrafted goods. Azizi Life partners with over 60 independent groups- a total of over 760 artisan partners. Rising from the horrors of genocide, artisans from all backgrounds have joined together once again through their craft. Each artisan cooperative specializes in hand crafting products using specific techniques and raw materials. Azizi Life is honored to partner with these women and men, collaborating to connect makers, designers, and customers around the world.

Azizi Life is committed to paying an agreed-upon fair wage to the artisans as soon as we receive their products. The additional income from the sale of their art allows the craftspeople & their families to afford many things that they struggled to get before:

Medical insurance – improving health

School materials for their children – improving education

Soap and other cleaning products – improving hygiene

A more balanced diet – improving nutrition

Farm animals that multiply for income and provide manure – improving resources, soil quality and crop yield

Financial independence- improving relationships with spouses and neighbors

Having the money available to invest in these kinds of things provides a real sense of security and hope for the future for the artisan and her whole family.

Many of the women with whom we are working have told us how isolated they felt before they joined an art cooperative. Now as they meet with others regularly, they have the opportunity to discuss their problems and provide support for each other. As the ladies sit together to weave or do some other artistic endeavor, they use the time to talk about all manner of things, from best farming practices to child rearing. It is a time when they are able to find mutual support and friendship which previously they did not have time for, as they worked full time in the fields and in their homes.

In one community, this level of closeness is used to even bring reconciliation between the victims and perpetrators of the tragic events of 1994 (the Rwandan Genocide).