Agaciro hosts first fundraising event at Mercer University

Agaciro is a non-profit organization that helps empower seamstresses in Rwanda by establishing new markets for its handmade bags.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — With it being March, it seemed fitting for Agaciro to host a March Madness-themed fundraising event at Mercer.

Agaciro is a non-profit organization that helps empower seamstresses in Rwanda by establishing new markets for its handmade bags.

The event included several carnival-type games, competitions for gift cards, an area for attendees to watch March Madness games, and food and drinks.

Emma Drash, project manager for Agaciro at Mercer, spoke about the development of this idea.

“This was started through the Mercer on Mission to Rwanda trips. And so on those mission trips, the business school students go to Rwanda, and they teach women about entrepreneurial ideas, and they make their businesses in Rwanda more sustainable. But you can only do so much during a few weeks over the summer, so we wanted to make this more sustainable for the ladies year-round. And so there’s a group of women that wanted to take their brand worldwide so they make handmade bags and they want to establish new markets for those bags and sell them in America, so we’re the marketing team for these Rwandan seamstresses,” said Drash.

The money raised will help the team create more advanced inventory systems as they receive shipments of one thousand bags this summer. All of the profits go to the women in Rwanda.

To learn more about Agaciro or buy a bag, head to www.agacirorwanda.com.