Rubona Basket Weavers Association (RUBAWA)

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Rubona Basket Weavers Association (RUBAWA) is located on Fort portal Kasese highway. The Association is made up of a group of 200 women trained and dedicated to weaving basket “masterpieces.” They use naturally dyed raffia to make baskets of all sizes, which are then sold to local and international markets. It took years of research and experiments until a wide range of colors was invented from local plants. The most recent additions to the color palette are blue from the indigo plant, and black from the bark of the wattle tree.

During your trip, you will share and participate in this experience of making dyes or weaving baskets, in a 30 minutes to 1 hour workshop. The women offer grass-dyeing workshoptrainings where visitors who are interested to learn more about the way baskets are produced and about how natural dyes are extracted from various plants will be shown around the project premises by the staff. Rubona’s baskets, are also sold on site and are wonderful masterpieces to take home as souvenirs.

The proceeds from the sale of baskets go back directly to the families and the community of those that produce them and this has proved to be a major source of income for the families.

Highlights

Choosing and making your own color choice from the green herbs and yellow petals
Watching the colors change at the display after removing them from the fire or ashes
Taking pictures of the created range of colors at the display wall at the end of the activity
Taking a tour of the garden and hearing the guides’ explanations of the plants name and the colors they make.
Shopping for handcrafts produced by the group members of Rubona Basket Weavers Association

Responsible Travel

The project is owned and run by the local women. The income directly goes to the local households to meet their family basic needs
All materials used are natural hence discouraging use of none biodegradable or toxic materials on the crafts that end up in the environment.
The group has domesticated all their natural dyes on the weaver members homes to minimize the harvesting from the forest on a daily basis.
The project creates employment to the local women. All the workers are from the local community.

How to find us:

Rubona Basket Weavers Association (RUBAWA) is located 22 kms from Fort Portal and 50 kms from Kasese town on the Fort portal Kasese highway. Look out for the sign post on the Right at Rubona town council if you’re coming from Fort portal.

To book, contact:

Tel: +256(0)782-562-640.

Email: bubecommunity@yahoo.co.uk

Or contact:

UCOTA/Pearls of Uganda

Phone: +256(0)414-501-866/+256(0)772-657-700

E-mail: info@pearlsofuganda.org

Website: www.pearlsofuganda.org

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