Profile
The massive return of refugees after the Genocide in 994, and resettles in October 1996 helped a great number of artisans to restart their professions. Little by little, the artisans watched out for markets and production niches in spite of all the problems they still encountered such as financial, logistical and raw material supply problems which they face regularly around the border zone far away from the capital.

However, it was only in August 1997 when the artisans of Butare in Rwanda founded Cooperative des Producteurs Artisanaux de Butare (COPABU) Inganzo Yacu, a sales office commonly called “PERMANENT SALES ROOM” of artisan products. The members still produce in their homes on the hills, and then they deliver to the sales office in town whenever they’ve got anything of good quality to sell. The mentioned sales office is located in the town of Butare, more precisely in the urban commune. The COPABU is composed of 63 individual artisans and 51 producers associations.The COPABU is dedicated to sell products of its members and develop the trades of its members through the permanent sales room, sales fairs within the country, and the participation in national and international fair events, develop a sense of quality regarding all the products commercialised in the name of its members, be they individuals or producers associations.

The main objective for COPABU is to assist artisans get in contact with potential clients so as to enhance mutual respect and appreciation, in addition to facilitating basic management training to artisans. Quite a number of different trades are organised in the COPABU the prominent among them are wood carving which is predominantly done with Jacaranda and Umusave wood. They also practise carpentry with the help of sophisticated machinery, others are basket maskings, greeting cards, tinsmiths and blacksmiths. COPABU strives to employ and recruit as many members as they can to be able to improve the living standards of the Rwandese.