How a local organisation is transforming lives of female street vendors

In a bid to bring about order in the city of Kigali, traders were banned from vending items on the streets. The City of Kigali authorities, in line with National Employment Programme said that they would build ‘free markets’ for vendors in all the three districts of Kigali to a tune of Rwf 700 million. The main purpose of the markets was also to ensure security, hygiene as well as promoting the culture of conducting business in an organised manner. As the plan was yet to be put in motion, the women vendors, who are the bread winners in their homes, had no alternative but to defy all the rules and carry on with their business was. This attracted punishment which often came after their items were confiscated. As most people debated on the issue, Alice Ingabire, a professional lawyer felt that enough was enough. Together with her friend and colleague Yvonne Mbabazi, who shared the same vision of helping the vulnerable, they embarked on a journey to empower women and their children both economically and socially. Equipped with just passion and meager savings, the two ladies started a local Non Governmental Organization which they named ‘Mother and Child Development Center’ (MCDC). “I used to watch how these women were treated and wondered how they cope with the living standards in this city. When I approached some of them, who I later found out were mostly single mothers, they admitted that it was not the kind of life that they wanted, but it was the only way that they could earn a living,” Ingabire saysThe center started off with 30 women and 30 children. Through interaction with them and visiting their homes, the most vulnerable having been handpicked from the group of women street vendors. With the help of volunteers, children are given free education. Through their various programmes, the women are trained in bakery, hair dressing and different life skills to empower them economically and can proceed to the market to trade, while their children are tended to it until evening when they are ready to go back home. 18- year- old Diane Mutoni was in her senior three when she became pregnant. Abandoned by the father of her child, Mutoni dropped out of school and started vending fruits on the city streets. “When I gave birth, my mother couldn’t afford to take care of my baby and me. I got some little money and started vending fruits but it was very tough and risky because it was illegal, so we spent a lot of time playing hide and seek with the police,” she says. Mutoni was lucky to find out about MCDC, an organization that came to her rescue. With the help of MCDC, she was supported to acquire hair dressing skills and today, she is a hairdresser at the center and can now support herself and her child. The center also has an active daycare centre and primary one and two classes where these women’s children have free access to education. After attaining skills, the women are taken for internship and when they are ready to earn a living, they are left to start a new independent life. The organisation also provides the children with free meals. Ingabire says that before someone is rendered ready to go on and pursue their dream, there are assessments that are done to help track the path towards achieving their goals. “Through a savings scheme we assess and determine whether one is financially stable and can take on the role of a responsible mother. We measure from the loan paybacks, if she is able to pay back on time and if she can save more and whether her living conditions have changed, that is when we can prepare her to be able to sustain herself before we take over the other vulnerable ones,” she says. Ingabire also says that the women are sensitized about other issues like the importance of educating a child. Pulling resources together The centre takes on the education needs of the children old enough to leave the centre, but whose mothers’ economic status isn’t yet stable. However, with the increasing number of beneficiaries to 86 women and their children, helping these vulnerable women remains a challenge as they have to rely on well wishers and churches for funding. Getting a place to accommodate all the beneficiaries is also a challenge as sometimes landlords are hesitant to take on such big numbers in their houses. Hairdressing is one of the trainings offered by MCDC. (All photos by Sharon Kantengwa) The centre still struggles to employ trainers and teachers and therefore depends on volunteers and interns who come in to help or utilize the beneficiaries’ skills to train others at a small cost. 27 year old, Alice Mukeshimana is an intern who teaches the daycare class. She studied clinical psychology and therefore knows how to handle the young ones in the absence of their mothers. “The children I take care of are used to moving about because of the kind of lifestyle they had gotten accustomed to on the street. Handling them requires a lot of patience but because I love children, keeping them in order and improving their discipline is what I do with a passion,” she says Hope for the future Even with the increasing number of challenges, the founders of MCDC believe that the centre will fulfill its mission of empowering women. “I want to see MCDC become a great organization that empowers women because if you empower a woman, you empower a nation. I want to see women empowered and children enjoying themselves and having all their basic needs taken care of,” Ingabire says. editorial@newtimes.co.rw ******************************************** I SAY: What’s the best way to help female street vendors? Josee Tuyisenge, Businesswoman Josee Tuyisenge The first thing one should do is to find out the reason why they are vending on the streets and the decision on how to help them can be based on that. That said, I think the best way to help such women is by finding a long term solution, for instance, giving them small capital to start their business. Alice Uwizimana, Engineer Alice Uwizimana It is poverty that pushes most of these women to the street. They have to survive. The solution is to come up with strategies that will enable them come out of poverty. Secondly, depending on their age, if they are still young, enrolling them in trainings such as Technical and vocational education training would be ideal. Hellen Nisingizwe, Teacher Hellen Nisingizwe Most women on the street are homeless, I believe by providing them a place to call home, as well as a means on how they will be getting their daily bread will be good for them.However,one should be able to prove that they really need that help. Jacky Ugirimbabazi, Pharmacist Jacky Ugirimbabazi The best way to help them is by finding a place to integrate their kids, if they have. Again, providing them with the skills and small capital to start their own business will help them not to depend on others. Compiled by Lydia Atieno

Lifestyle

How a local organisation is transforming lives of female street vendors