Economic empowerment is changing the livelihood of women: Oliver Nyirasabimana, Craft maker

The joyous 34-year-old Oliver Nyirasabimana narrates how life has changed her as she grasped the reins of her economic future. “I didn’t get a chance to go to school, so I spent most of the time feeling sorry for myself. I got married but my husband is handicapped and so it was hard for him to fully support the family. In 2008, I got lucky and was trained by Women for Women International Rwanda in different programs such as hair dressing and crafting and making products out of beads. I enjoy beading and this is how I ended up here at Gahaya Gifted Hands,” she says. The mother of four now earns between Rwf 80, 000 to Rwf 100, 000 a month.“Although my children are all in school, I was able to renovate my house and buy a cow which also gave birth recently. I advise my fellow women to be true partners and help their husbands by working instead of sitting at home and waiting for the men to do everything,” she reveals. She also advises housewives to get involved projects that uplift women economically. “For example here at Gahaya we have small economic associations which we use to collect money amongst ourselves to help one another economically and socially,” Nyirasabimana explains. Regarding the importance of celebrating International Women’s Day, she says, “We listen to inspiring testimonies from fellow women and these stories build confidence in us. We should emulate what these women have achieved. On this day we also get a chance to celebrate our achievements,” she says.