As it is often said that a liberation struggle does not end with the silence of guns. What follows a war, or in Rwanda’s case, a genocide of a devastating magnitude, involves liberating minds and hearts as well as socioeconomic liberation of the masses.

As such, a liberation struggle like the one the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) undertook, does not end with the quiet and calm that follows the end of the war, but rather it can even mark the beginning of the actual liberation.

When the RPF’s armed wing, the RPA took up arms to fight the government of Rwanda at the time to return refugees, many women and girls joined the struggle- many of them against the approval of their parents or guardians.

It was a big number, there was even a unit that was exclusively made up of women, the Yankee Mobile Unit, which was commanded by Maj (Rtd) Nuriat Kaka. Many of them went on to retire from service and ventured into other areas such as business and entrepreneurship.

As Rwanda marks 30 years of liberation, many of the women who participated in the liberation struggle remain active under their organisation Ndabaga.

Initially, the membership of Ndabaga was limited to women who participated in the RPF/A Inkotanyi liberation struggle, but after the country was liberated, it was expanded to include women ex-combatants of the vanquished army commonly known as Ex-FAR.

According to Joy Tumwebaze, a member of Ndabaga, the main objective of expanding the membership was to strengthen efforts in contributing to the implementation of the Government's programme of unity and reconciliation and to be more inclusive.

Many of the women are still on the frontline, albeit a different one, that doesn’t require guns and bullets but rather one that focuses on the socioeconomic liberation of Rwandans.

Born in Uganda, Tumwebaze, who is currently a trainer at Rwanda Peace Academy (RPA) joined the liberation struggle in 1991 when she was a student but the desire to know and live in her country drove her to join RPF/A.

For many years, Tumwebaze had a burning desire to have a country she can call her own. Very often, she would be denigrated, mocked and told to go back to her country.

"There are several reasons that made me want to know and fight for our country. I will give you an example. In my fourth year of primary school, we were just a few Rwandans studying in that school. Just me and my siblings,”

"They used to call us all sorts of names, denigrating us for who we are.”

Tumwebaze, like many Rwandan refugees, went through situations that often made her question why they should live in a different country other than their own from a young age.

Much as she was a child, those incidents left a deep mark on her and she became even more curious and hungry to return to Rwanda. It didn’t matter how.

"I felt that I needed to know more about Rwanda, I needed to know why lived in another country. I asked my mother many questions and she told me the story of how Rwandans ended up in exile,” she said.

At the time, her family lived along the Uganda-Rwanda border and in 1990, Tumwebaze saw a convoy of trucks with soldiers who she later figured out were RPF/A fighters headed to the Rwandan border to launch the liberation struggle.

"That is how I joined the struggle, joining hands with others to liberate our country,” she says, recounting the difficult circumstances they had to endure over the nearly five-year period, as the RPF/A forces pushed to dislodge the genocidal government.

After the struggle, the women ex-combatants continued with their solidarity efforts, joining hands to form Ndabaga, which was registered as an NGO.

Established in 2001, Ndabaga has a mission to enhance the well-being of its members, build their capacities, empower communities, and foster peace and security in Rwanda and beyond.

The name "Ndabaga'' originates from the legend of a girl who defied traditional gender roles in old Rwandan society to venture into traditionally male-dominated military competitions to take the place of her father, who did not have a son.

Traditionally, the King’s army was composed of trusted individuals who would leave their homes to their son but Ndabaga’s father did not have a son and was obligated to serve in the King’s army until his death.

Determined to change her fate and take over from her father, Ndabaga who is believed to have lived in the 18th Century, underwent rigorous training, mastering combat skills, and disguised herself as a man to join the army and fulfill her father's duty.

Her exceptional abilities earned her recognition from the king, who eventually made her his queen. Ndabaga's legacy inspired Rwandan girls to challenge societal expectations.

Today, she is celebrated as one of Rwanda’s heroines. Tumwebaze says that in the 1990s, her spirit inspired many women to join the fight against dictatorship, leading to the establishment of Ndabaga, initially composed of women who had participated in the liberation fight.

Maintaining solidarity

Tumwebaze says that one of the key elements that made the liberation struggle a success was the solidarity the combatants had, which kept them together and helped them to overcome insurmountable differences.

"One of the key things that helped us overcome challenges was the solidarity we had. After the liberation struggle, many of us were scattered, deployed in different assignments in different parts of the country or doing whatever we were doing individually,”

"That solidarity we had disappeared and we felt that we missed it. We felt there was a gap. We needed to know where everyone was and how they were. We had lost the connection we had before,” she recalls.

Tumwebaze says that initially they came together as a social grouping but eventually they realised there is a lot more they can do to continue liberating the country in other ways.

"We just wanted a platform to bring us together but later we felt we needed to be legally recognised. We started in 2001 as an association but later we felt the need to make it wider and better,” she narrates.

At the time, the country, which was in the phase of rebuilding, was grappling with a number of challenges, including poverty and HIV/AIDS, and they felt that even after fighting for the liberation of the country, there is a lot more they can do to improve the wellbeing of the citizens.

"We felt that there is a lot we can contribute to ensure peace in our country and outside and most importantly, ensure that the active cadres and ex-combatants stay together,”

"Later, we said we wanted to be more inclusive and that is how we brought in ex-FAR female combatants in 2004, because much as we were fighting for different causes, we were now one and we were in the same spirit of unity and reconciliation,” she adds.

"It was a very good decision and today we are working together, we have been together on this good journey and we understood how important it was to come together for a common cause,” Tumwebaze says.

At the time, there were slightly over 200 women ex-combatants but after integrating ex-FAR members, today they have about 528 members across the country.

Their aim is to achieve sustainable socio-economic development with a motto "A woman, a catalyst for patriotism, sustainable peace, and development."

Their mission is to break socioeconomic barriers to the welfare of members and encompass the creation of a thriving Rwandan society where women are not only equal participants but catalysts for peace and development with the support of local and international stakeholders.

Tumwebaze says that while they have partially achieved that goal, the struggle continues because thirty years later, what the RPF Inkotanyi set out to achieve hasn’t been fully achieved, while the gains registered must be consolidated.

Beyond socioeconomic development and empowerment, Ndabaga seeks to promote high values of integrity, social justice, transparency and accountability as well as dignity and ethical conduct, not just in their group but among all Rwandans.

Their activities centre around promoting traditional moral values, patriotism, family, employment and job creation, as well as other areas of engagement which Tumwebaze says contribute to the ongoing liberation of Rwandans in general.