Unemployment is one of the challenges faced by many Rwandans today, and for this reason, a local NGO started up projects to employ women and youth and equip them with income-generating skills. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, the unemployment rate has shown an increasing trend. Quarter to quarter comparison shows an unemployment rate from 14.5 per cent in February 2019 to 15.5 and rose again to 16.0 per cent in August 2019. Marie Aimee Umugeni the president of Nyamirambo Women’s Center- NWC that was initiated by 18 women based in Nyamirambo, says that the centre was created to curb and address societal issues, such as gender-based violence, gender inequality and discrimination—problems mostly encountered by a number of women. Marie Aimee Umugeni, the president of Nyamirambo Women’s Center. /Photos: Courtesy The cooperative that was launched in 2007 anticipated to provide education and training to deprived women so that they could gain better employment opportunities. According to Umugeni, the NGO offers dissimilar activities to the community, such as free classes in literacy, English, basic computer skills, handicrafts, and sewing. She says, women are also enlightened on gender-based violence and community-based tourism. “We are looking forward to seeing women start up their business with the knowledge and skills given to them, and also become literate,” Umugeni says. She adds that the NGO aims at strengthening the institutional and organisational capacity, promoting and empowering women through capacity development and employment, and stimulating women and community-based tourism. In order to promote women in tourism, the centre has started a Responsible Community-Based Tourism (CBT) initiative in form of a community walk tour. The community-based tour operates in the urban environment in Kigali, particularly in Nyamirambo. It gives visitors a perception of the everyday life and challenges, social events, and businesses. Umugeni notes that visitors can obtain a first-hand experience of Rwandans and culture, and at the same time, witness benefits of the women at the cooperative. She adds that the tour sets off from Nyamirambo, one of Kigali’s oldest neighbourhoods, where the tourists take a look at the women’s hairdressing salons; and then a visit to the tailor shops, where they are given chance to feel the fabric and even buy if interested. The tourists are then served with lunch comprised of a mixture of local dishes at the NGO’S home in Nyamirambo. The walking tour goes for Rwf 15,000 and lunch costs Rwf 3,000. At the beginning of 2014, a small community library was installed, offering books in Kinyarwanda, English and French. Umugeni says that the idea behind the library is to hearten a reading culture among the youth in Rwanda and to promote the idea of “One child, one book” in a country where children do not have many opportunities to read and ascertain the world through books. At the end of 2013, Nyamirambo Women’s Center launched the product line known as “Umutima”, a Kinyarwanda word that loosely means heart, which entails a variety of women’s accessories, children’s wear, and home decor products. The project has offered jobless women a chance to train and get employed and are paid a fair wage. At the moment, over 50 women are employed by Umutima as seamstresses and the profits earned through Umutima are used to fund NWC initiatives. The president of the NGO points out that Umutima’s future needs are to sustain the growth of the cooperative in terms of investment, business management development, product design, sourcing of quality materials, and mentorship to assist the management team to develop leadership skills. The NGO has a target to expand this activity in the future. The centre hopes to create a successful income-generating project for the women and expand as well. “Our vision for the future is to create a modern centre for women in Nyamirambo that offers employment, training, counselling, and support. “We also anticipate that to achieve this, we wish to buy our own property with a modern workshop and a visitor’s centre to welcome tourists who want to learn about life in Kigali. We would like to also start exporting Umutima products by becoming a fair trade brand,” she says. Beneficiaries share their views Walking along the road six years ago, Miriam who is now 32 years old, was hit by a motorcycle. The accident left her with a broken leg and a traumatic head injury. She spent three months admitted in hospital. It took her about three more months to heal at home. She used all her savings to access treatment and look after herself. The accident damaged her left eye permanently. Miriam lost her parents in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. During the difficult times, her elder sister provided limited assistance. Her community recommended her to seek a way to care for herself and her four-year-old daughter. She was able to join NWC, and it’s now seven years since. She has learned to sew and is committed to continuing to learn and develop her skills. She can cater for herself and her child. “My story was bad but I have found a new family here at Nyamirambo Women’s Center. This is a place where I can come and be happy and strong,” she says. Mayimuna who is 66 years old has also benefited from the NGO. She has seven children that range from 14 to 40 years of age. Her husband works in an auto parts shop. She was a food vendor but wasn’t earning enough money from it. She heard various stories about the Nyamirambo Women’s Center, and she approached the NGO. Mayimuna has found great joy being a member of the NWC. It is a place where she is happy and has found a social community that gives her great support. She earns an income and finds peace in knowing that her children will not go hungry. editor@newtimesrwanda.com For any inquiries, you can reach Marie Aimee Umugeni on 0782111860.
