Pacifique Twizeyemariya was a street vendor, who used to hawk some bundles of a vegetable locally called ‘dodo’ (amaranth) valued at Rwf1,000, in Muhanga city, Southern Province of Rwanda. Her frequent arrests by security agents – as hawking is illegal in the area – further weakened her ability to provide for her three children.

Even during days when she was not detained by security agents, Twizeyemariya was finding it hard to make ends meet – with some Rwf500 she could get a day from the vegetable sales, she told The New Times while in Muhanga.

Again, after being released from detention, she would face difficulties paying house rent as she had no stable source of income.

"I used to borrow Rwf1,000 from someone and buy 20 bundles of amaranth as one was Rwf50. I hawked them in a basin and could get Rwf500 as income, which I used to provide for the family comprising me and my three children,” she said, pointing out that life was hard as she also had to pay for a house rent.

That happened before June 16, 2021, the time she started benefiting from the UN Women project.

Twizeyemariya is one of the beneficiaries of the UN Women project on "Fostering women and girls’ dignified lives through GBV prevention, response and women’s economic autonomy in Rwanda”.

A new lease of life

For her, joining the project was somehow a new lease of life as she is no longer involved in the risky street vending.

She said that the project provided beneficiaries with skills in line with entrepreneurship and financial literacy and encouraged them to create savings and credit groups, as well as joining a vocational training including tailoring.

"I acquired tailoring skills under the auspices of the project, I was able to get a job in a garment factory,” Twizeyemariya said, pointing out that she started working in the Muhanga-based factory, on April 17, 2023.

With that job, she pointed out that she is guaranteed a monthly wage.

"I am no longer worried about getting evicted from a house over non-payment of rent because when I am paid my monthly wage, I immediately settle up,” she said, adding that she can provide for her family.

Now, the woman who was struggling to get Rwf1,000 for the micro vegetable business has managed to buy a sewing machine for Rwf120,000 last year, which she can use anytime, if need be, to earn a living. She also opened an account in Umurenge Savings and Credit Cooperatives (Umurenge SACCO) – a sector-based financial institution.

That was partly thanks to a savings culture fostered by the project, where she saves Rwf1,000 per week.

Another beneficiary, Jacqueline Muhawenimana, also a resident of Muhanga, said that before the project intervention, she was jobless. However, the project approach of bringing women into groups where they could get credit created a livelihood opportunity for her.

Muhawenimana told The New Times that she started by selling airtime, and later expanded the business by providing mobile money services thanks to money she got from a savings and loan group created under the project support. She saves Rwf2,100 per week in a group that has 30 members.

"I now get between Rwf100,000 and Rwf150,000 monthly wage from MTN, from the initial Rwf30,000 I started with,” said the mother of three, adding "I am now well-off” compared to the situation before.

Christine Uwamahoro, a trader in a market in Muhanga, said that before the support, it was a challenge to get a loan from banks as she did not have the collateral they needed, an issue which was addressed through supporting the establishment of savings and loan groups for women.

Now she trades agricultural produce including onions, tomatoes, and peas.

"Before, I would use Rwf5,000 to buy amaranth, celery and bell pepper. I was a street vendor but now, I have a stand at the market for which I can pay Rwf25,000 per month,” she said.

"I save Rw4,000 per week in a savings and loan group, and get more than Rwf200,000 per year as a share-out,” she said, pointing out that this helps her to grow her business.

The project at a glance

According to UN Women, the project was initiated in October 2019 to leverage the efforts of the Government of Rwanda and its stakeholders in addressing GBV comprehensively, by tackling the negative social norms, promoting a change of mindsets and addressing the economic vulnerability of women as a pathway towards women and girls’ dignified lives.

It showed that the project is being implemented across the country with the contribution of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through a multiyear commitment totaling USD $2 million.

The project contributes to the UN Joint Programme on Gender entitled "Leveraging the Full Potential of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment to Achieve Rwanda's Transformation” and is in line with the Government of Rwanda’s planning frameworks especially the National Strategy for Transformation (NST 1, 2018-2024) which is committed to strengthening prevention and response strategies to fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and child abuse with specific interventions related to the integrated and holistic care services (health, legal, socio-economic, among others.) for GBV victims.

Additionally, one of the project interventions is in line with increased entrepreneurship and business skills for vulnerable women and girls

In this framework, UN Women in partnership with Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) increased the capacity of 512 vulnerable young women (including sex workers and teen mothers) in entrepreneurship, business skills, financial literacy, Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), GBV prevention and response.

These women are now grouped into 20 Savings and Loan Groups. The skills acquired helped them to improve their businesses and saving ability from $3,493 by the end of December 2021 to $19,910 by the end of December 2022 and a loan portfolio from $1,943 to $16,138.59 in the same period.

Among the beneficiaries, 279 graduated in TVET and have improved skills in various trades including hairdressing, arts and crafts, and auto mechanics. They are now competitive in the labour market and have secured a living, as indicated by UN Women.