Impacting lives Wealth creation at family levelHUYE- A three-day exhibition opened in Huye District Tuesday with a call on exhibitors to improve productivity.At least 20 women cooperatives operating in various parts of the district are attending the exhibition, organised as part of activities to mark the women’s month, a 30-day period dedicated to empowering women and girls across the country.The women are showcasing various products, including baskets, statues, hand-made bags, ornaments, agriculture products and foodstuffs, among others.Speaking to Business Times, the exhibitors said they have achieved a lot.One of the exhibitors, Martha Mukantagara, has managed to establish a banana beer processing plant, Ineza breweries. She currently produces a well-packed beer, branded Ineza. According to Mukantagara, efforts put into women development have begun to yield fruits.“I started packing this beer in 2007. I now own a banana beer brewery. It is a significant achievement I have made in my life,” she proudly told Business Times.Christine Mukashema, another exhibitor, said: “We have come together into cooperatives, shared ideas and initiated projects which are helping us to get money. This is something we are proud of.”The women advised others to be “committed, self-confident and innovative” in order to uplift their socio-economic wellbeing.Gloriose Uwamwezi, the representative of the National Women’s Council (NWC) in Huye District, observed that today, women have a reason to celebrate as their contribution to the country’s development is obvious.She noted that women in the district are now aware of their aptitude and capability to contribute to their own development.“This exhibition seeks to showcase what women are doing to improve the wellbeing of their families and their contribution to national development.”The Governor of the Southern Province, Alphonse Munyentwari, told the women the expo is an occasion to learn from each other and take measures to further improve productivity.He noted that the success of their activities relied on the importance they put up on them, urging them to come up with new ideas to spur development.“You cannot sit and think that you will develop or that someone else will come to help you. Everything starts with you,” Munyentwari observed. “Look around, see what you can do from your surroundings to improve your life,” he advised.
