Joy Ndungutse
Tribute
From Kigali's hillside, we see how Joy Ndungutse has woven economic opportunity for thousands of women through Gahaya Links while threading resilience, hope, and cultural pride through her three children's lives as a single mother. We celebrate not just the global market she co-built with her sister, but the countless times she's become both mother and father – tending to needs from her children, making decisions without a partner's counsel, and doubling her capacity for love when hearts need mending. Her success is not measured in export volumes but in the stability provided for both artisans and her own children.
Profile
Joy Ndungutse is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Gahaya Links. She is an entrepreneur and humanitarian, renowned for her dedication to women’s empowerment through traditional crafts. Growing up in a refugee camp, she witnessed the resilience of women who used basket weaving to support their families. Inspired by these experiences, Joy co-founded Gahaya Links in 2003 with her sister, Janet Nkubana, aiming to transform traditional basket weaving into a sustainable livelihood for thousands of rural Rwandan women. Under Joy’s leadership, Gahaya Links has grown into a network of over 4,000 weavers across Rwanda, organized into around 72 cooperatives. The organization has successfully penetrated international markets, partnering with major retailers like Macy’s, Walmart, and Anthropologie, thereby bringing global recognition to Rwandan craftsmanship. Joy’s efforts have not only provided economic opportunities but have also fostered reconciliation and unity among women from different backgrounds in post-genocide Rwanda. In recognition of her impactful work, she was honored with the Artisan Hero Award in 2015 by the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise and The Aspen Institute. Joy is a single mother of three children and resides in Kigali.