EASTERN PROVINCE

NYAGATARE — Genocide widows in Nyagatare have managed to overcome bitter memories and engage in serious income generating work.

Working under an association called Zamuka Munyarwandakazi, the women count on informal education for their success in vocational activities.

Though they did not acquire formal education, and were bogged down by financial constraints, these widows have been able to run a small scale sweater-making enterprise that has transformed their living standards. 

The women say they want to change their 11-member association into a cooperative, in order to keep their earlier poor living conditions as thing of the past.

The association’s chairperson, Joyce Kantarama attributes their success to commitment and determination of the members.

Kantarama and her association’s co-founder, Stephania Twagirumugabe, have a story to tell about how they have transformed their previous awful lives as widows.

They consider their one-year training in sweater knitting in Rukungiri, Uganda, as a turning a point in their life.

Thanks to God’s Love in Making, a charitable organisation trained,and donated a sweater knitting machine and threads to them, which they say was their starting capital.

With one machine, insufficient funds, and lack of space in Nyagatare town to conduct their business, Kantarama says the beginning was hard.  

She said that paying a monthly rent of Frw10,000 by then, to them was a nightmare;  and to earmark such amount out of their families’ expenses required saving for five months.

By sheer luck Compassion International in Nyagatare gave them a deal of making 100 sweaters. "It is such a deal that paved our current success,” said Kantarama.

She adds that their business has restored their earlier lost hope of living while adding a modern twist to both survival of other widows and the rural women development.

According to Kantarama, their success should be inspiring, but the big challenge is how sustain their present capacity.

"If we can manage to overcome our past challenges and produce stocks which outcompete our business rivals, I think we would really be prosperous entrepreneurs,” she said.

Despite all the hardships, these widows believe challenges are a motivation factor to strive for their future goals.

Only self confidence, intelligence and hard work will make them happy, prosperous and gain equal status with other society members, they argued.

Zamuka Munyarwandakazi was established two years ago with the aim of helping widows overcome despair.

With unity, they believe that they are capable of taking part in the societal development.

"Before, our members were facing problems of food shortages in their families, they were living in dilapidated houses and putting on torn clothes,” Kantarama recalled, stressing that such life has since changed.

Apart from earning a living, the women have also chosen to invest in their future through hands-on work training which has also benefited ten other vulnerable people.

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