Cultural Exchange.

This weekend the UK volunteers participated in a cultural exchange whereby they rented traditional Rwandan attire and wore them to a dinner party hosted by one of the local families.

Here we can see the boys dressed in ‘ikote’ and the girls in ‘umushanana.

The umushanana has a special significance as it is regarded as one of Rwanda’s cultural symbols and has been around long before the colonialists came. Any woman wearing the umushanana is regarded as decent and pure and is very well respected.

Traditionally the umushanana was made from animal skin but more modern versions of the dress such as the ones worn by our volunteers are made from silk giving the piece it’s regal look. While the dress was traditionally worn by elder women, the piece has since been embraced by the youth and can be seen at formal events and ceremonies.

Kwigana Umuco.

Iki cyumweru, abakoranabushake bo mu bwongereza bagerageje kwambara imyambaro nyarwanda, aho bagiye gukodesha iyo myambaro bayambara mu birori bari batumiwemo numwe mumiryango babamo hano mu Rwanda.

Hano turareba igitsina gabo cyamabaye “amakote”, n’igitsina gore cyamabaye “umushanana”.
Umushanana ufite ubusobanuro bwihariye kandi ufatwa nka kimwe mu bimenyetso by’umuco nya Rwanda kandi wahozeho nambere y’ubu koroni. Igitsina gore cyose cyambaye umushanana bifatwa ko wambaye neza, ufite ubuziranenge kandi wubashywe.

Kera umushanana wakorwana mu ruhu rwinyamanswa ariko noneho ubu mu buryo bwa Kijyambere ukorwa mumwenda woroshye kandi mwiza nkuko mubona abo bakoranabushake bo mu bwongereza bawambaye. Uyu mwenda  wakundaga kwambarwa na babyeyi bakuze, ariko noneho ubu ninkumi nurubyiruko rurawambara mu buryo bwo kubahiriza umuco nyarwanda mubirori cyangwa se no mumakwe.