IMWE Information

IMWE is a nonprofit brand that was formed through a partnership with students from Mercer University and women who survived the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Our goal is to work with multiple teams of women who create different handmade goods by introducing permanent collections through this brand, Imwe - which translates to "one" in Kinyarwanda. The first and only team Imwe currently works with is Ubumwe Family Design, who creates various types of handmade bags. The women behind Ubumwe Family Design are Alivera, Alice, Justine, Epephania, Eugenie and Claudine. In 2021, these women had separate tailoring businesses, but they realized there is strength in unity. These women came together and formed one collective partnership. Their dream is to sell their products in America. Each of these products have been handmade by these women. Due to the inconsistent fabric market in Rwanda, the fabric cannot be specified ahead of time. Because of this, nearly every product has a different fabric pattern. When you buy from IMWE, not only do you support these women, you get a quality piece that is completely unique to any other product on the market. 100% of our profits go back to the women in Rwanda.