Murakoze, Musanze

I hadn’t been to Rwanda for years, even though I live just a hop, skip & jump away in Nairobi. Actually, since none of those verbs are what you want associated with air travel, let me rephrase and say that it’s just a quick flight away! It was, of course, great to be back. More traffic - and traffic lights for that matter. But it was still the same beautiful, impossibly tidy Kigali that I remember. I was struck once again by how different this country is from my adopted home, Kenya. Different kitenge worn by the unfailingly graceful women. A different language, which I was frequently reminded of (by welcoming but bemused smiles) when I invariably slipped into Swahili. But the alto of beeping motorbike horns and the soprano of children’s laughter as they played soccer in the red soil outside my hotel window made for a song that I know by heart.

I had the very good fortune of being invited on this particular adventure by the founder & director of Handspun Hope herself - Diana Wiley! After a comfy sleep & breakfast at The Hut Hotel, we started our winding, uphill, and oh so picturesque drive to Musanze. Goodness - those Rwanda farmers are sure made of sterner stuff. Every field of crops that I saw seemed to be on an incline of 60° - as if horizontal farming wasn’t difficult enough! We stopped halfway for a smooth and much-appreciated coffee at Sōoko, in Gakenke. Not only was the caffeine and leg stretching nice, but Sōoko is also the site of Handspun Hope’s newest boutique. Beautiful products, beautifully displayed, in a beautiful location. The area actually reminded me of my other home in Canada - what with the coolness in the air, the highway cutting through bedrock, and the coniferous trees. What a peach of a place. And how wonderful that so many tourists, on their way to meet the gorillas, also get to meet Handspun Hope and find a one-of-a-kind treasure or five to take home with them!

The day we arrived was also Diana’s birthday. We, of course, wanted to tell everyone at the center and make an absolute big deal of it, which she, of course, made us promise that we would not do. For the record, we did keep our promise, but word somehow got out. So when we arrived for worship time the next morning, two cakes with sparkling fountain candles on top (along with her full, government name & age) greeted us at the door, accompanied by the boisterous singing of 200 women!

I have so many other great memories from this visit!

Getting to see behind the scenes of the production process, as they worked the kinks out of a sample, felted umbrella - a take-home gift for a fundraising event of one of their European partners.

Being in the room for their praise & worship session, and knowing that, despite any language barriers that we might’ve had, the most important ‘audience of one’ was hearing, understanding, and receiving it all as a sweet smelling incense.

We also got to visit the incredible campus of The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. The center was built with such beauty & intentionality, which only befits the legacy of the force of nature that was Dian, and the majestic creatures that she devoted her entire life to. Sadly, there wasn’t enough time to go visit the gorillas in their natural habitat, but I suppose that just means another visit needs to happen sooner than later!

Homemade gnocchi with pesto, made by the inimitable Alberto - proprietor of the lovely ‘La Locanda’ guesthouse where we stayed.

Clearly, I could go on.

I arrived back in Nairobi with a knitted gorilla for my five-year-old son, with a giant Toblerone for my husband (and probably a bit for me), and with a thankful heart.

Thankful for all the lovely scenery, of course. It’s not called the land of a thousand hills for nothing!

For all the beautiful people who have left an indelible mark on my life already.

And for the community of creativity, care, building, healing, and of course hope, that I found at Handspun Hope.

Murakoze, Musanze.

Until we meet again!

Upon arriving in Musanze, we forwent the bag drop-off at our guesthouse, and instead drove straight to Handspun Hope. Sweet reunions for Diana & our other travel partner, Holly, and sweet first-time meetings for me. Although I had visited Handspun Hope over a decade ago, it had been in a completely different location at that time with a much smaller group of women. To see the growth, both in terms of personnel and also the physical center itself, was truly exciting! After being introduced to Confiance, the jovial & exceptional Country Director, I got a tour of the new medical center, counseling wing, and early childhood education (preschool) building. This led to my first difficult moment of the trip, as the little kidlets were all asleep on their mats and it took all the self control I had not to burst into the room and cuddle every last one of them awake. I’m sure their teachers would’ve loved that!

Having a precocious three-year-old pull me aside to proudly show me all her best English - head, shoulders, knees, toes, t-shirt and whatnot.

Shopping for the birds of paradise that would add so much color & character to the center’s flower beds.

Touring Rosamond Carr’s home, and learning (what I’m sure is) just the tip of the iceberg about what this generous woman had done for, and what she loved about, the people of Rwanda. Her grounds could rival the best English country garden that you’ve ever seen, except that the volcanoes in the background would immediately let you know that you’re not in the Cotswolds anymore, Toto! While we were there, we also got to visit the fields that are about to become the new home of the real stars of the show - the Handspun Hope sheep! Not being a sheep myself, I’m not entirely sure what they look for in real estate, but it sure looked pretty grassy & green to me. I’m assuming that’s at the top of their list of requirements.

Guest UserJune 10, 2026