Traditional Rwanda
Primary 4 · Social and Religious Studies
Traditional Rwanda
Lesson 4 of 5
13 min
In a museum, Uwase sees an old iron hoe, a clay pot, a carved wooden milk pot and a beautiful basket with a pointed lid. "There were no factories long ago," says her teacher. "Every one of these things was made by hand, by skilled people."
Economic activities are the work people do to get food, goods and wealth. In pre-colonial Rwanda, the main ones were:
| Craft | What was made |
|---|---|
| Blacksmithing | Iron hoes, knives, axes and spears |
| Pottery | Clay pots for cooking, carrying water and storing beer |
| Basket weaving | Baskets such as agaseke, mats and winnowing trays |
| Woodcarving | Wooden milk pots, stools, bowls and drums |
| Bark cloth making | Cloth made from the bark of the fig tree (umuvumu) |
Tip
Farm, herd, hunt, craft: four ways people lived long ago.
A blacksmith works with iron, a potter with clay, a weaver with grass and fibres, and a carver with wood.
Answer: Any two: sorghum, finger millet, beans, peas, bananas.
Answer: They gave milk and butter, showed wealth, and were given as gifts between friends and at weddings.
Answer: Iron tools and weapons such as hoes, knives, axes and spears.
Answer: The bark of the fig tree (umuvumu).
Answer: Basket weaving (or pottery): agaseke baskets and pots are sold to Rwandans and tourists.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The rest of the lesson, including the practice questions, is written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each crafts person to what they work with.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
