Dativa Musabyeyezu, a farmer in Bumbogo sector, Gasabo District, has become a key breadwinner for her family over the past three years. The former peasant farmer attributes the ability to support from co-operatives, banks and Women For Women International (WFWI), a non-governmental organisation that supports disadvantaged women, which helped her improve her farming enterprises.

The farmer presently has two dairy cows both worth Rwf800,000 and two pigs worth Rwf140,000, thanks to working through co-operatives and saving with formal financial institutions.

Musabyeyezu’s family owns different pieces of land where they cultivate diverse types of crops. She said they harvested 20 sacks of beans last season. They have also constructed a tank to harvest rain-water for irrigation, and the family also uses biogas for cooking and lighting the house.

Musabyeyezu’s achievements are testimony to what women can attain when they embrace co-operatives, as well as save and work with banks, according to Gasabo District and WFWI officials.

Languide Nyirabahire, the Gasabo District vice-mayor in-charge of social affairs, said many formerly disadvantaged women were engaged in various income-generating activities using their little savings or supports from partners.

Nyirabahire was speaking at a financial fair organised to promote financial inclusion among women on Tuesday. The fair was organised by WFWI and Gasabo District.

The event also sought to link financial institutions and women from Ndera and Bumbogo sectors to discuss ways of supporting their projects. The fair was held under the theme, "Financial institutions, the foundation of co-operatives’ development”.

Nyirabahire said the initiative will strengthen the working relationship between banks and women from the two sectors to enhance their financial empowerment and the area’s development.

She said women in the district will realise their financial goals and contribute to the country’s objective to deepen access to financial services. She added that funding from banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) is essential for small women entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and make them more sustainable.

She noted that working in co-operatives as well as with financial institutions has greatly contributed to growth of small businesses operated by women in the district.

Nyirabahire attributed this to mindset change and improved skills among women in business.

Antoinette Uwimana, the WFWI country director, said linking women with financial institutions is crucial to promote social protection and strengthen women’s economic empowerment.

"We support the women during the initial phase of their projects and then link them with financial institutions to ensure their businesses are sustainable. This is why we invited different financial institutions at this fair to showcase their services so that enterprising women can choose those that meet their needs,” Uwimana said.

She said the organisation helps the women involved in various activities, like agriculture, handicraft making, and trade, among others, to develop their businesses and take them to the next level.

Women speak out

Musabyeyezu said she started working with WFWI in 2013. The organisation trained Musabyeyezu and other women in the village in improved farming practices, savings culture, home hygiene, and business management, among others.

The resident of Bumbogo sector said previously, she was living a ‘hand-to-mouth’ kind of life, but with the skills gained Musabyeyezu started a poultry farming and other modern farming projects.

"Not long after, I was earning daily income of about Rwf15,000. So, I decided to open an account in Urwego Opportunity Bank to secure my savings. Later, I got a Rwf200,000 loan from the bank that I injected into the farming projects,” the mother of six said.

Musabyeyezu said she got two more loans from the banks of Rwf500,000 and Rwf600,000, respectively to expand her enterprise.

She added that the earnings have enabled her to pay fees her children, one of whom is at university while three are in upper and lower secondary levels.

Frodette Mukandayisenga, one of the women that attended the financial fair told Business Times that she identified different products her savings group of 20 people can exploit to start income-generating projects or expand existing businesses.