Duterimbere marks 25 years of poverty eradication

Duterimbere, a non-profit making organisation which aims at developing and eradicating poverty among Rwandan women, on Thursday celebrated 25 years of its establishment.Speaking at the event, Martine Umubyeyi, the president of the organisation noted that at the time they started operations, so many women were living in abject poverty and did not know how to make good use of the loans they acquired from banks which was why the organisation was started.Some women would find it hard to get loans while others would get them and not use them well leading to losses.“We therefore embarked on an exercise to prepare women before they access loans, on how to put them to good use. We also empower Rwandan women with life-skills to make them economically independent,” she said.She said that they are now looking out for opportunities in the regional market. He advised the women to start thinking of expanding their businesses and growing bigger.Duterimbere has also over the years helped in the provision of easy loans and funding of income generating activities and strengthening of the woman’s awareness of her economic rights.Delphin Ngamije, the Managing Director of Duterimbere Micro Finance said that they have trained many women in financial education, entrepreneurship, gender studies, agri-business, disease prevention and conflict resolution among others.Margaret Uwantege, one of the beneficiaries of Duterimbere says that the training opportunity she got from the association had expanded her knowledge and skills in financial literacy.She started with Rwf 20,000 which she used to inject into her millet brewing business in 2004.“I got so much support from Duterimbere and now I own a spare parts store in Nyagatare worth over Rwf 30 million. I now have rental houses as well which boost my profits. I started with just a small loan, little savings and business knowledge from this association but today my businesses are booming,” she added.Duterimbere was created in 1987 by 29 Rwandan women led by the spirit of promoting equitable social-economic development.

National

Duterimbere marks 25 years of poverty eradication