Aziz life cultural experience in Rwanda

Aziz life experience is a cultural practice in Rwanda that involves passing on the knowledge of traditions, customs, and values from one tradition to another through storytelling, music, dance, drama, and different forms of artistic expression. This is a way of promoting and preserving cultural heritage to create a sense of togetherness and identity among the natives and the outside world.

Engaging in the Aziz life cultural experience as a spice to wildlife encounters is a remarkable way of having close contact and interaction with the locals, spending your time and joyful moments with Rwandans, especially in rural areas, enjoying wonderful company in the garden, food preparation, craft work, and feasting.

Some of the activities that can be undertaken in the Aziz life – cultural experience includes;

Traditional pottery

This is a traditional practice that involves using clay and water to mould a piece of your choice. When you join the local artists, you will need to go to the fields to dig up and gather the materials needed. A local artisan will guide you through the process of preparing and molding your creation.  Some of the items that can be made include pots,  plates, cups, candle holders, and many others.  The molded structures will be left in the sun to dry and later burnt on fire in the afternoon hours. Burning helps to strengthen the creations to last longer.

Traditional cooking

If you opt for the cooking experience, select seasonal dishes that you wish to learn about with the help of the local women.
For this experience, you can go to the garden with the women to learn how seasonal crops are grown. They will show you the different stages from planting to harvesting. Return home with some of the mature crops to prepare for the day’s meal.
After collecting the ingredients needed to prepare the food, then can start the cooking procedure. Preparation may involve washing, peeling, pounding, or grinding.  You will be using local methods to pound or grind the food where necessary. This applies mainly to millet, sorghum or dried cassava.  Use a local fireplace to cook the food.

You will do all this with the support of the local women and elder girls for you to enjoy and benefit from your experience.  When the food is ready, share the meal with the local women and their children, gather at one round table, and enjoy your meal traditionally using your fingers not a fork.  This experience will help you notice the ups and downs women go through to put food on the table. It’s an exciting experience.

Traditional Coffee

In this activity, you will join the coffee-producing communities.  The locals will take you through the traditional ways of coffee production from planting to the cup.

As a visitor, you will be led by your guide to a village to meet women in a cooperative to take through the adventure. After a warm welcome, you will be taken through all the processes of coffee production from picking, washing, roasting, and hand-grinding up to consumption.

After sharing a brief theoretical process of the activity, you will head to the coffee farms, identify and pick the ready coffee beans, wash the beans, and spread them out to dry. As they dry, share a meal with the host. After lunch, roast, grind, and sieve the coffee. After all, taste the traditionally prepared coffee and call it a day with the Rwandan coffee artisan.

Traditional construction

This is a traditional experience where you will learn how to traditionally construct a house.

It all starts with collecting water and soil, the locals will teach you how to mix the soil and water to make mud then show you how to make mud bricks and lay them under the sun. When the bricks are ready, join them to dig a foundation, look and learn how they lay the bricks to make a building with a firm foundation. Lunch will be shared with the host family or community.

When the first phase of construction is over, join the locals to collect banana leaves and fibers.  You will be taught how to make strong ropes from banana fibres which will be used to fasten the wood while making a roof. The roof may be thatched with banana leaves or grass. By the end of the day, you will have knowledge about local construction.

Imigongo (cow dung craft) experience

This is an amazing craft work and design by use of cow dung.  This experience dater from far back in the pre-colonial period when a prince used cow dung to create beautiful carvings on the walls of his hut. From that time, this type of art was developed and is currently referred to as ‘Imigongo’ in the Rwandan culture. If you join the locals for this experience, you will learn the history and practically be shown how it is done. It is also a full-day experience with interaction with the local Rwandan natives.

Banana juice making

Banana juice was the most common drink served at different parties. Though it has been replaced by different beers and other international brews, the banana brew is still recognized for cultural and traditional practices.

With this experience, join the locals to collect green bananas and leaves, dig a hole, and cover the bananas to ripen. Ripening takes 4-5 days. No worries, as a visitor, you will not have to wait for those days, you will instead use their ripe bananas to complete the activity.  Together with the locals, peel, mash, and strain the bananas using traditional methods until juice is produced.

At the end of the activity, boil the juice for you to test and then depart.

 Candle dipping and hive-making

This is a cultural activity that involves interaction with beekeepers.  When you arrive at your booked artisan home, you will be warmly welcomed to share knowledge with the beekeepers. In this experience, you will start by learning how to make a local beehive from local plant materials. You will also learn how to prepare wax; the artisan will teach you how to dip your own bee wax candles. You will love working with the locals as you will be allowed to take home your candle.   It is a creative and educational adventure.

 Traditional dancing and drumming

With Aziz’s musical experience, you will enjoy the melodic styles of Rwandan natives. First, you will listen to their music and watch their dance steps.   After some time, you will be given a chance to take part in the music. Dress in your attire and follow the instructor who will be helping you to understand the styles and movements. After a lunch break,  proceed for drumming listening and try to follow the drumbeats and you are also free to play your own style. During all the performances, you are free to take photos and videos of this joyful interaction.

Traditional arts and crafts.

This is an experience that brings you to a specific home in the craft village. Through your guide and translators, you will connect with locals. You will help to collect the craft materials like banana fibers, sisal, threads, and others.  You will engage in basket weaving, mats, crotchet, hats, and other crafts. With the help of the locals, you will create a craft of your choice to take home with you.

All of the above cultural encounters and many others provide rewarding experiences and true immersion into  Rwandan tradition and culture. For most of these encounters, early bookings should be made through reputable tour companies like  Active African Vacations for the best preparations for the expedition.