Meet MUKARUKUNDO OLIVE
Meet Mukarukundo Olive, a resilient 48-year-old woman residing in Rubona Sector, Kabatasi Cell, Kabuye village. Olive's life took a challenging turn during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi when she was subjected to molestation and left to face the aftermath alone after her husband passed away. Despite enduring immense hardship, Olive displayed incredible strength and determination. Out of the seven children she had with her abuser, only one survived, and she found herself in a constant struggle against poverty.
Undeterred by her circumstances, Olive embarked on a small-scale business selling tomatoes and bananas. Although the profit margins were slim, she managed to sustain herself and her child. It was during this period that she discovered Women for Women Rwanda, an organization that would change her life.
Joining Women for Women Rwanda opened up new possibilities for Olive. She eagerly participated in business training, gaining valuable knowledge on how to engage in a profitable venture with a clear goal in mind. Inspired by the training, Olive was willing to go the extra mile to achieve success.
One significant step she took was joining a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), enabling her to save money and access loans. Leveraging a loan of 100,000 Frw from the VSLA and an additional 50,000 Frw from another source, Olive courageously launched her own business in April 2023, as depicted in the accompanying picture. With her capital, she purchased various types of liquor, soft drinks, water, milk, biscuits, pancakes, and bread, stocking her modest store.
Olive's entrepreneurial spirit didn't stop there. She also offered tea and served her customers with a variety of edibles and beverages. Her dedication and hard work paid off remarkably quickly. In just two months, she earned a profit of 80,000 Frw, a testament to her newfound business skills and determination. Looking ahead, Olive envisions expanding her business to generate even greater profits. Her ultimate goals include constructing her own house and providing quality education for her child.
Adding to her good fortune, Olive was generously lent a fridge, wardrobes, small tables, and chairs by her landlord. While she appreciates this support, she aspires to purchase her equipment in the near future, solidifying her independence and self-sufficiency.
Before joining Women for Women, Kirungi Viviane a 50year resident of the Mukarange sector in Kayonza District was destitute and under extreme poverty, with no self-esteem and a problem of stammering. Paying school fees or buying school uniforms or acquiring health insurance was a problem. She and her family were wearing frayed clothes that she felt isolated with no hope for the future. She survived from hand to mouth as a casual laborer.
After she joined the Women for Women programs, she was inspired by a saving scheme, especially saving digitalization where every member must have a personal goal and save towards her goal. After participating in the saving meeting every member receives an SMS update on her saving situation through their phone.
The piggery project crossed her mind and she opted to borrow Forty thousand (40.000RWF) from her saving group. Vivian bought one pig that gave her six piglets and sold them at 15.000Rwf each, she earned 90.000 francs. The second time she had 10 piglets and each was sold for fifteen thousand (15.000Rwf), she again gained One Hundred and Fifty thousand Rwandan Francs. (150.000Rwf).
Viviane now has expanded her piggery business to 15 pigs and she expects to earn 65,000 FRW every month and organic compost to be used in her farming will increase her crop production. In the future, Viviane wants to see, all 3 children graduating at the university level and she has a plan to renovate her house and increase the share values at 6,000 Francs per meeting where she expects 344,000frs per sharing out in January 2024.
“I advise women to work hard, save for the future, start small and grow gradually by investing in their set goals and be bold and have confidence in them. I as well thank Women for women Rwanda for their great support”. Said Kirungi Viviane
The year 2019 was an extreme answer to Claudine’s socio-economic problems because of being enrolled among others in the women for women Rwanda programs that went on for one year.
Claudine participated actively in different training sessions such as Life Skills, Saving Scheme (VSLA), Business Skills, and Vocational Skills.
According to Claudine, the savings saved her life because she was able to set her goal and start small income-generating activities through borrowing from her VSLA group.
She is now involved in selling Bananas in the different local markets where she gets a net profit of 50,000Frw per month and she can save 10,000 Frw per week. During the first cycle share out she got 290,000Frw which was used to renovate her house and buy two goats for rearing purposes.
Currently, she is in the second cycle whereby she will get 400,000 Frw and she has a plan to build a house for rent for family income-generating.
Claudine as a widow continues to work hard and increase the share values for sustaining her family and she is now helping 4 poor women in her community to start a small business and appreciates all assistance accorded by Women for Women Rwanda.
“Before joining the Women for women programs, I was a poor woman, isolated, who demand everything from the husband, and it was not sufficient because he was doing casual work like farming activities for others,” said Claudine
Before joining Women for Women Nyirankundimana Odette a 48yrs lady from Gatenga Kicukiro District was poor, desperate, lonely, and felt hopeless with no self-esteem. She became a soul winner struggling as a hawker to sell vegetables to look after her four children who were malnourished after separating from her husband.
But after joining the Women for Women organization program, she was empowered with business skills pieces of training that opened up her mind to try out a business of her own. She joined a VSLA group and started saving for her future investment. During the training, she gained self-esteem and opted to start a small income-generating project. to achieve her goals, she approached someone who was producing liquid soap in another community to train her so that she can start her business in soap making.
Odette is a member of the Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLAs) as a member she borrowed 20.000Rwf from her savings to buy ingredients for liquid soap products. To sell and advertise her business, she took with her 24 (½ liter) bottles to the community meeting (umuganda) that is held every month. All 24 bottles were sold after the meeting. The demand was increased and this encouraged her to expand her business. She toped up her loan to receive 35.000Rwf and bought more soap ingredients. Currently, she managed to win the market in hotels and different places in her community; on the monthly basis, she earns a lump sum of approximately 150.000Rwf, from selling liquid soap and selling items from the knitting vocational skill that she acquired from Women for Women organization.
After sharing out in her VSLAs group at Women for Women, Odette was excited to have bought her own knitting sewing machine at 150.000Rwf that earns some money today. Apart from that, she is also an agent of a cleaning company known as (KEYSHA) whereby she sells different items on commission.
Odette didn’t gain the skills to execute alone in her business, she is happy to see her children able to make liquid soap and also assist her in her entire business; She can now provide them with food, education, health insurance, and clothing. “Malnutrition is no longer my portion,” said Odette
“My vision is to expand and become a sustainable registered company and educate my children to the university level and also build a house for my family” she added
She reasoned with fellow women that “women should have boldness and self-esteem and work hard towards their goals.”
Umutoni Clementine is a 21-year-old mother of an 11-month-old baby girl, living with her parents in Karambo cell, Gatenga Sector. After getting pregnant, family members abandoned her, and she struggled financially to meet her daily needs. After joining the Women for Women Rwanda program and being trained on how to start a small business and save for the future, Umutoni decided to borrow money from her VSLA (Village Saving and Loan Association). She took a loan of 20,000RWF and started buying unripe bananas to store and keep until they are ripe to sell. She continues working on her business every week and making a profit of 7000-8000RWF per week. Two months later her capital per week is now 30,000RWF equivalent to 30 USD.