While some people living with disabilities go out to the streets to beg to get by, a select group has beaten the odds by starting from saving Rwf50 each to generate Rwf650 million capital for creating viable businesses.

Beatrice Nyirabumba, is one of the residents with disabilities in Nzahaha sector from Rusizi District, who formed a saving group that has already transformed their lives.

The 45-year old mother was a street vendor who used to peddle and generate low income to buy food.

Beatrice Nyirabumba, is one of the residents with disabilities in Nzahaha Sector from Rusizi District who is rearing cows and goats thanks to loans from saving group.

"I was only working for food and I had no hope for sustainable development,” she said.

In the last four years, Nyirabumba and her colleagues with disabilities had begun by saving Rwf50 per week each member to the loan and savings group.

Today, each member’s contribution to the group has increased to Rwf500 per week.

"I would get a loan from the savings group and buy small livestock. Currently I have two cows, four goats including modern goats that provide milk. I paid school fees for my child’s high school and I have a target to also pay university tuition fees,” she testified.

Nyirabumba is urging persons with disability not to stay in solitude or the state of begging.

"We approach those who beg so that they stop the vice and start working hard to generate income. Any member of our group who begs is fined. Those who beg never think of a bright future and self-reliance,” she said.

In Rusizi District, there are 214 loan and savings groups with  comprising 5,991 members with different disabilities.

Marie Thérèse Mukantagara, from Nyakarenzo Sector is one of the group members.

By making use of the savings groups, she managed to modernize her banana growing operation.

"I urge people with disabilities who are begging to stop the vice. It distorts our image yet we are able to work and generate income. Through saving small amount of money, they can grow,” she said.

The loans and savings groups are operating in nine districts including Rusizi and Rutsiro.

Assiel Ngiruwonsanga, a resident of  Mushubati Sector in Rutsiro District, started with retailing cooking and ripe bananas.

Currently he is running a shop with goods worth Rwf600, 000.

"I managed to reach such a level thanks to loans I got from the savings group in different times. I also have a cow. I have realized that Rwf100 can transform a person’s life. Anyone in the savings group easily gets soap, salt and satisfies other basic needs including which children need at school,” he said.

Dancille Nyiramisago, another member living with disability said she used to live in destitution before joining the savings group.

"The savings group has helped me to get access to piped clean water in my home. I have a target to buy livestock whenever our saving group reaches the stage of distributing dividends,” she said.

The savings groups were formed under the support of National Union of Disability Organizations in Rwanda.

Coping with extreme poverty

Anne Marie Dukuzumuremyi, The Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs in Rusizi District said that the savings groups have improved lives of people with disabilities who were in extreme poverty.

"It is a good initiative to see a person with disability earning their own income to develop their family,” she said.

She said that the district is ready to continue working with different partners to support people with disabilities so as to reduce the number of those begging on streets.

"We will continue to mobilize those who are still begging and group them in cooperatives,” she said.

Since April last year, there are 50,708 people with disabilities gathered in 1,721 savings groups.

Emile Cadet Vuningabo. Economic Empowerment Program Coordinator at National Union of Disability Organisations in Rwanda (NUDOR) said that so far, the people with disabilities in saving groups have saved Rwf659.1 million.

 "If such saving groups continue to perform well, they could drastically reduce the number of people with disabilities who are still begging,” he said.

The initiative is set to be replicated in more than eight districts.

The savings groups are part of boosting people with disabilities financial inclusion.

According to FinScope 2020 thematic report on persons with disabilities, which was published by  Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) in partnership with the National Union of Disability Organisations of Rwanda (NUDOR).

For savings, only 15 per cent of people living with disabilities have savings in banks, 4 percent save with family and friends and 19 per cent do not have savings, according to the report.

New policy pushes entrepreneurship for PWDs

A new policy for inclusion for People With Disabilities (PWDs) adopted last year calls for promoting employability of persons with disabilities in the form and informal sector by increasing their skills development, promoting entrepreneurship, startup toolkits and access to finance among others.

"We have to increase the participation of persons with disabilities in employment. We have to realize as much as possible to fully productive, decent and freely chosen employment especially for youth, women with disabilities through economic growth and accordance with the dignity and respect of fundamental human rights,” Clemence Mukarugwiza in charge of legal affairs at National Council for People with disabilities (NCPD).

She said the budget implication for implementing the whole new policy is Rwf43 billion.

Ensuring quality service delivery for inclusive delivery, improving coordination and inclusion of disability across all sectors is among the recommended actions.

Agriculture sector is among the sectors accommodating entrepreneurship opportunities for PWDs.

"The policy actions have to ensure inclusiveness in the agriculture domain and introduce agricultural equipment and modern technology equipment that is accessible and usable for persons with disabilities,” Mukarugwiza said.