Famous American comedian, television host and actress, Ellen DeGeneres, and her partner Portia de Rossi, have been on holiday in Rwanda since Sunday during which they also witnessed the early stages of the construction of the Ellen DeGeneres Campus that will be dedicated to the late Dian Fossey’s work in Rwanda.

Rwanda Development Board gifted the couple as a token to welcome and introduce them to Made-in-Rwanda products. The gifts were made by Hate Baso, a local fashion house.

Linda Mukangoga, the co-founder of Haute Baso, said they learned about their visit last week and seized the opportunity to gift Ellen and Portia with their customised signature bomber jackets to include hand beading, a hand embroidered scarf, large fully beaded Icyansi (Milk Jug) and included other small accessories like bracelets, a necklace and printed mountain gorilla pouch.

The couple, Ellen and Portia, also joined the Visit Rwanda campaign hardly a week after the latter made headlines for a tourism partnership with one of the biggest football clubs in the world, Arsenal.

Mukangoga noted that the opportunity to present the gifts meant putting their brand out there and showing the world that high quality and well-designed products can come out of Rwanda.

"It was a great opportunity to showcase not only our brand but, most importantly, Made-in-Rwanda and the unique skills and craftsmanship of Rwandans. For our brand this means a great deal, it highlights the growth we have had with Made-in-Rwanda and with the support of the Visit Rwanda campaign it’s encouraging for Made-in-Rwanda brands to be able to showcase their skills on the international stage,” she said.

By creating unique clothing, accessories and jewelry based on the heritage of Rwandan artisanship, Haute Baso proves that Rwanda is a country full of talent. The local fashion industry is among the key areas that government looks to tap into to support under the Made-in-Rwanda campaign.