She beat odds to win a cow

No reward has probably been celebrated more than Judith Bwabuhe’s cow reward. It even could have surpassed a double cabin Toyota pick-up rewarded in August to Apollo Rutagarama, a model farmer in Gitoki sector, Gatsibo district. Bwabuhe is a farmer in Ruheru sector in Nyaruguru district, who this week received a cow in recognition of her hard work. She was the second person to receive a cow after Specioza Ndabitondeye of Shingiro, Musanze district, who had earlier received one. The Women’s Network for Rural Development, commonly known in French as Reseau Des Femmes Oeuvrant Pour Le Development Rural, in conjunction with ActionAid organized the rewards to nurture and support enterprise development in rural areas. The reward, launched in 2001 aims at recognizing rural women who work hard and support social development. Five winners get cows annually. Bwabuhe was really happy, very happy indeed. The news of the reward reached her on the same day and time of handover. She had come to the ceremony as any other member of farmers’ cooperatives supported by the Women’s Network for Rural Development. On hearing the announcement, she shot up, raised her hands high in the air, praising God. She moved about, reciting a traditional cattle poem. “God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, abundantly,” she prayed for the donors. That Bwabuhe did not even have a kraal where to rear the cow, but received it and beat other quite equally hardworking women in the area demonstrated the odds. About how she would look after the cow without cattle feeds, she responded that ‘there is no mother who fails to look after her child’. She commended the team which selected her as the winner, adding that the cow would help meet her orphans feeding needs and provide manure for her vegetable garden commonly referred to as kitchen garden. Bwabuhe’s reward drew acknowledgement and admiration in equal measure from all circles. There is every reason to give rural women respect. “She deserves it,” said Jeanette Mukashema, of her feelings about the recipient of the reward. Seated on grass, a distance from the tent built for the ceremony, with her child on the laps, Munezero, and her five-year old daughter, Jeanne, said “Yes,” “we are very happy and excited to see Bwabuhe get a cow for her family.” Her fortune was more about her consistency. She is reportedly the only woman to join local politics in the early post genocide years in Ruheru sector, Remera cell, working as the information officer at the cell level. She was in charge of culture on the women’s council in 2009. She adopted two orphaned children despite her economic status and promptly pays health insurance for them. She is always at the forefront in rallying people to go for community work (Umuganda). She also leads in rallying men to go for night patrol! As if that is not challenging enough, she also gets involved in family planning campaigns and mobilises expectant mothers to give birth under the care of medical personnel. Bwabuhe also has a children’s troupe which entertains people at various village events. Born in 1950, Bwabuhe paid Rwf30, 000 to join a farmer’s cooperative Turengere Ubuzima based in Ruheru sector. From the cooperative she says she is self reliant and is able to dress all her children, including buying them uniform. Unsubstantiated remarks indicated she was not the best suited to win this prestigious cow. But she denies it: “Even God knows… local leaders know my commitment.” Reseau Des Femmes calls for savings culture Meanwhile, on the same day, the Women’s Network for Rural Development sensitized about 100 people, including women and youth on nutrition, food security and credit and saving schemes. The training and reward ceremony were organized as part of activities to mark Hunger Free campaign week 2011 championed by ActionAid Rwanda.Women supported by the Women’s Network have formed farmers’ cooperatives. Speaking as chief guest, Beata Busasa, the national coordinator of Reseau Des Femmes commended Bwabuhe for her hard work and urged other women to emulate her. She appealed to women to adopt a savings culture, seek agricultural information and seek loans to grow their farming activities, noting that the cow reward was also in line with improving nutritious feeding in rural areas. “Women should be involved in crop and livestock farming to ensure wealth and sufficient food to eat. Wealth and good nutritious food are the very foundations of healthy people. It helps us improve our standards of living, raises our life expectancy…a healthy mind in a healthy body,” Busasa said. jtasamba@gmail.com