On 30th June 2022, at Sainte Famille Hotel, Women for Women Rwanda hosted an event named “Enabling Environments for Successful Female Entrepreneurship in Rwanda”
On 30th June 2022, at Sainte Famille Hotel, Women for Women Rwanda hosted an event named “Enabling Environments for Successful Female Entrepreneurship in Rwanda”
This event was aiming at linking invited women micro-entrepreneurs with opportunities, resources, and partners that support their journey to become successful entrepreneurs
More than 78 women micro-entrepreneurs from Nyaruguru, Muhanga, Gasabo, Kicukiro, Bugesera, Rwamagana, and Kayonza, are proud of their achieved development after being trained by Women for Women Rwanda because before the training they went through they use to consider themselves as women who bear children and take care of them only.
The said women attest that their lives were miserable before joining the Women for Women Rwanda’s project, they have been considered the most vulnerable in their community, and they felt lonely and miserable, with no meal on the table, and their children were always sick due to malnutrition, and some of their children experienced school drop out due to lack of means to pay school fees and other school requirements.
After a long period of living a miserable life, Women for Women Rwanda provided these vulnerable women with a series of pieces of training among them literacy, numeracy, life skills, business skills, and entrepreneurship. this has changed their lives up to the level of product exportation.
MUKAMURIGO Emerence a member of ISANGANO cooperative from Bumbogo sector Gasabo district claimed that WfWR is the mother of women
“I was a disoriented woman, I felt behind all the women in my community, I used to be that poor woman who used to work on other people's farms to get food, I was homeless, single with nothing belonging to me but after WfW-Rwanda’s pieces of training things have changed”
Emerence recognizes and thanks WfWR for the training given and also the knowledge acquired which helps her to develop projects for herself and that of others to earn money.
In this event Women for Women Rwanda has invited different partners, and they have shared a lot with these women micro-entrepreneurs.
From the government institutions, a representative from MINICOM Mr. Shema Kenneth presented to participants on entrepreneurship in Rwanda and its persistent general challenges,
From the financial institutions, Access bank in line with their commitment to helping accelerate women’s development, Prossie KALISA, the Executive Director for retail & digital banking, presented the opportunities they have for women under the W initiative, such as access to finance, among others.
After the presentation of Access Bank Rwanda, the representative of ACB (Amasezerano Community Bank) Mr. Eraste NSENGIYUMVA presented on special services they provide to women.
Before the closing of the event, participants had time for questions and answers and they interacted with all invited partners among them GIZ, DUTERIMBERE, Plan Rwanda, as well as financial institutions, and many more. Pertinent questions were asked and appropriate answers were provided.
To close this event in style Mrs. Jacqui SEBAGENI chairperson of Women for Women Rwanda’s board of directors welcomed the guest of honor to deliver the speech, before handing the flow she added “We are lucky to have good governance and the leadership that promotes gender equality”
Mr. Silas NGAYABOSHYA currently serves as the Director-General of Gender Promotion and Women Empowerment at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion in Rwanda in his closing remark, he reminded the people present in the room that Rwanda has a clear policy and above all objectives that will never leave women behind. so, it can't be a barrier for women who want to get into entrepreneurship
“In terms of capacity, we still have challenges because capacity strengthening is a process, Women for Women Rwanda’s project has contributed significantly, what you are seeing as the success it is not a one-day work, it took them time to implement, and this approach to link women with financial institutions and to tie the long-lasting partnership will result to sustainable partnership,” said Mr. Silas NGAYABOSHYA
"In the name of the Ministry I represent I am taking this opportunity to thank Women for Women Rwanda for organizing this event and hope the project will document the implementation and success with lessons learned, keep the momentum," He added