My name is Nyarabazungu Jean, a Rwandese aged 31 years old from Kiretwa village located in Kashojwa Parish Rugaaga Sub County Base Camp Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro district.
I am not educated because my father was not able to pay my school fees. I am married with 4 children, with 3 still in school and the other has not yet reached school going age.
Before becoming a member of UWESO group, I could not raise enough capital to start my retail shop and tailoring business so I could not provide scholastic materials for my children.
However, when UWESO mobilized members in our community, I joined Kiretwa Abeterine women VSLA Group in January 2019, which comprises of 30 members. I have benefited a lot being a member of this group because I can save and borrow money to pay school fees for my children and treat my children when they fall sick. Am able to borrow money and inject in my shop and tailoring business.
Generally, in this community, we are facing a very big problem of access to clean water since we have to travel a very long distance and spend more time fetching water but UWESO has built a water tank in our village and this will reduce on the distance and the time we spend fetching water. If I had not joined this group, I would have remained in poverty and ignorance. I also would not have got the knowledge of borrowing and saving as well as continue to suffer getting clean water to use.
My future plan is improve my businesses and buy more materials for tailoring. I also plan to start rearing goats and doing some poultry keeping to supplement on my household income. Besides what I have gained from this project, my community continues to face a problem of poverty, which affects children’s enrollment, and completion of school.
My advice to the fellow women in groups is that they should continue saving and encourage other members to borrow money and start their own businesses. However, to those who have not yet joined groups, ensure that you join and save school fees for your children.