From Our Country Directors

Country Director Berra Kabarungi’s Journal January 2005
Former Country Director Wendy Shapiro’s Journal September 2004
Former Country Director Wendy Shapiro’s Journal May 2004
Former Country Director Wendy Shapiro’s Journal March 2004

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Country Director Seida Saric’s Journal January 2005

Country Director Berra Kabarungi’s Journal January 2005

It is with pleasure that I write to you about what’s happening with our program in Rwanda.

There are currently 1,292 women participating in our program here in Rwanda. They all send their warm greetings and appreciation! This quarter 442 participants graduated from the Sponsorship Program and how I wish I could send you a picture of their happiness!

We recently hired a new Income Generating Coordinator, Specioza, to help us create more opportunities for women to improve their family’s economic situation. Specioza will identify new vocational skills training that are viable in our local market. Currently, Women for Women International – Rwanda provides all vocational skills training out of our offices in Kigali. One of Specioza’s responsibilities will be to identify other organizations that are already providing vocational skills training classes. We hope to partner with these organizations so we can provide a greater variety of classes, and so we can offer classes to women that live further away from the office. In 2005, we hope to use these partnerships as well as our own vocational skills trainers to provide new trainings in areas such as hairdressing, leatherwork, catering and food processing, welding, ceramic kitchen utensil production, batik or tie-dye, and jewelry-making.

In Rwanda, we recently completed a 16-day campaign led by the Ministry of Gender aimed at ending violence against women. According to statistics provided by the national police, a woman is raped every four hours in Rwanda. Events included hearing from government and non-governmental organizations and women survivors of rape and violence. Women for Women International is doing its part by including training on ending domestic violence and abuse of women in its rights awareness and leadership education sessions that women attend during their time in the Sponsorship Program.

In 2005, Women for Women International hopes to expand the types of training we offer as part of our rights awareness and leadership education program. In November, we met with a representative from the Urunana Health Organzation in Kigali. This group currently has an audio program that provides health information to women in Rwanda through BBC World Service Radio. We are exploring a partnership with Urunana to use their expertise to expand the health training portion of our rights awareness training, as well as to bring the radio program to the women we serve.


Clotilde's Story

Clotilde is a member of Urugero Group.

There are so many success stories from the women in the program – here is just one story that I wanted to share with our sponsors. Thank you for the good work you are doing to support women in Rwanda!

Clotilde is a widow who is 41 years old and has three children, all boys. Clotilde’s husband was the sole provider for the household, and since his death she has struggled to support herself and her boys. She tried to find temporary jobs in housing construction, but often did not get hired because of her age.

When Clotilde joined Women for Women International – Rwanda in September 2004, she used her sponsorship funds to buy charcoal from a wholesale distributor and resell it on the local market. Investing just a small amount of money in the business at first, Clotilde has increased her sales so that she can support her family’s basic needs – her family is now able to have two full meals a day, and they have new clean clothes. She has also started her first savings account. Clotilde now plans to expand her business to include growing and selling vegetables so she can continue to improve the status of her family.

On behalf of the participants and staff, I wish you a happy and joyous 2005. Thank you for all that you do!

Yours sincerely,

Berra Kabarungi
Country Director, Women for Women International -- Rwanda

Former Country Director Wendy Shapiro’s Journal September 2004

The last quarter was a very busy one for the Rwanda office, with staff traveling to the US, a number of national holidays, and a visit from Women for Women International supporters. It also marked the beginning of the Rwanda Chapter’s transition to a 100% national staff.

In June, staff members Berra and Anne-Marie and I attended the annual Country Director’s meeting in Washington, DC with the directors from all of Women for Women International’s country offices. This was the Rwanda staff’s first opportunity to see Women for Women International’s headquarters and to meet so many of the people with whom we communicate regularly. It was their first time in the US, and they were particularly struck by the busy multi-tasking of Americans as they raced down the street with cell phones in one hand and lunch in the other! The visit has had a significant impact on our program already as the first-hand understanding of all of our operations makes it easier to work together.

The first week of July was an important time in Rwanda. July 1st was Independence Day and July 4th was Liberation Day, making the end of the 100-day period of genocide in 1994. This anniversary was a call to the international community to assess its progress towards peace in the world. Ongoing scuffles in eastern Congo, and rumor of Rwandan involvement, have led many to wonder if peace will ever come to the Great Lakes region in Africa. In August, an ethnically driven massacre in a refugee transit camp in Burundi was yet another reminder that the slogan of the 10-year commemoration in Rwanda, “Never Again,” has yet to be answered.

In the meantime, Rwanda remains calm and Women for Women International continues to expand its efforts to assist socially-excluded women. Malaria prevention was a primary focus of our efforts this quarter. Though often avoidable and treatable, malaria is still a major killer in much of Rwanda. Many people spend huge sums on treatment each year that could otherwise go towards much-needed household items, school fees, or savings. As the rainy season approaches, we are anxious to convince our women of the logic in investing in low-cost prevention, such as mosquito nets, instead of unaffordable medications or even worse implications. So far, many of our participants have expressed interest in purchasing nets and we are working with another organization to make these available here at our office or during field visits.

We also focused a lot of attention this quarter on identifying trainings that will enable women to produce marketable goods. As evidenced by the demand among our participants, durable plastic market baskets are one such item. One of our trainers, Louise, identified two women from her groups who could make the baskets and worked with them to develop a specific curriculum and timeline for teaching the trade. We have now employed these two participants to provide a six-session course to other program participants. Two groups had finished the training by the end of August. Our goal is to develop a reputation as a source of these baskets so that program “graduates” have a consistent outlet for their product. As the government recently banned the inexpensive plastic grocery sacs that litter much of this continent, we are very optimistic about the market potential for this long-lasting, environmentally friendly alternative. The story of Marie Jose, one of the participants who is now teaching women how to make the baskets, is included below.

In an effort to promote our program, but more importantly to generate income for participants, we opened a booth at the annual Rwanda National Expo. Much like a county fair in the US, this nine-day event featured companies, products and services from all over Rwanda and the Great Lakes region. The idea to enter the Expo came at the last minute, but nevertheless, we sold nearly $300 worth of our participants’ products. We’ve since received a number of calls and visits from people who learned of our program while touring Expo.

One of the most exciting events for the Rwanda Chapter this quarter was our visit from Women for Women International Founder and CEO Zainab Salbi and two Women for Women International supporters who live in the US. The group spent time in the Kimihurura office, visiting with rural participant groups, touring the country and meeting with Rwandan leaders, from the village level to national representatives. The visitors enjoyed their visit and the wide range of experiences they had in Rwanda. It was particularly exciting to introduce sponsor Jill Smith to her participant sister, Esperance. Jill was able to visit Esperance in her home, meet her family, and share stories and experiences first hand.

Last but not least, one of the quarter’s most exciting events was our announcement in late August that Berra Kabarungi will take over as Director of the Rwanda Chapter in October. Berra’s education and early professional experience was in teaching. In the last ten years, Berra focused on efforts to promote women in Rwanda’s reconstruction process, and has several years of experience with Women for Women International.

As I prepare to leave Rwanda, I am thankful for my experience here and with Women for Women International. I know Berra is going to be an excellent Director, and will continue to send updates about the women and our program. Thank you so much for all that you do.

Best Regards,

Wendy Shapiro
Country Director, Women for Women International-Rwanda


Marie Jose's Story

Though she considers Kigali her home, Marie Jose was born in Butare, Rwanda in 1959. Her mother died the day after she was born. Nuns took Marie Jose into their care for a few years and then her grandmother took her in. When she reached her third year of primary school Marie Jose moved to Kigali to join her uncle. She finished primary school in Kigali but could not continue into secondary school. Her uncle asked her to care for his children in exchange for her own provisions. She married a man who lived in the compound with her uncle. They had ten children; only four of them survive today. Her husband and two of her children were killed in the 1994 genocide, and the other children fell sick from various illnesses. She now lives with four kids and two orphans she adopted after the war. Her oldest child is away at school much of the time.

Marie Jose began making plastic market bags in 1984. It was at that time that she saw a man making bags out of rope. She tried to learn the trade, but he would not teach her his skill. Instead, Marie Jose observed him and taught herself how to make the bags. She made the bags out of rope, but found that they were not very durable. In 1996, a staff person at a plastic company in Kigali connected Marie Jose to a foreign woman there. This woman brought them in for three months to weave bags out of plastic strips that the company normally produced for construction work. They found these baskets far more durable than the rope version. Since this time, the plastic company has been selling this inexpensive plastic “rope” from which they produce market bags, now popular in much of Rwanda.

Since joining Women for Women International, Marie Jose now has the resources to cultivate larger customers. Some women from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have started to place orders for the market bags to sell locally. Marie Jose has her children help her, and has now trained some neighbors to fill the orders, as well as other program participants. Through Women for Women International, she is gaining the costing and pricing skills she needs so she can make enough of a profit to reinvest in new materials. She’s off to a great start, and we know she will continue to do well as she increases her business!

Former Country Director Wendy Shapiro’s Journal May 2004

Women for Women International-- Rwanda opened the doors of its Chapter Office in Rwanda on March 1, 2004. Having finally received official registration as an international non-governmental organization from the Government of Rwanda in February, we moved operations out of our local partner, Speak I am Listening’s office, to our own site.

We selected our office due to its easy access for participants, its welcoming atmosphere for rights awareness education and vocational skills training workshops, and the space available for growth. We also hired a number of new staff whose energy and ideas have already made a notable contribution to our program. Our urban participants now come to our office for regular workshops with their trainers in the garden bungalows outside our office space, while the purchase of our own vehicle and the hiring a full-time driver/logistician have made visits with our rural participants easier.

All of our participants have started, or are planning to start, group savings accounts where they will develop familiarity with basic banking practices, and set aside funds for future income-generating activities. We are also focusing on the identification of marketable goods, and also on skills in which we can realistically train our participants during the course of the program. Unfortunately, since many of our participants did not have access to education, and the lack of opportunities in the Rwandan economy makes this a major challenge. Nevertheless, establishing a comprehensive vocational skills program is our next large endeavor. Our hope is that our participants will acquire skills that will help them to generate income in the long-term, but also to develop much-needed confidence. Some of the vocational skills training programs we hope to start soon include:

Wood Stove and Solar Cooker Production: Currently, 90 percent of Rwandans rely on wood as their primary source of fuel. As deforestation continues and wood becomes less available in Rwanda, it is essential that new, alternative methods for fuel are developed. The Kigali Institute for Science and Technology (KIST) has developed a more efficient wood-burning stove, as well as a solar cooker, that can be produced by the women in our program. Partnering with KIST, Women for Women International hopes to provide training in this non-traditional skill that would allow the women not only to build the stoves for personal use, but also give them the opportunity to build the stoves for sale in their local villages.

Knitting: Recently, schools in Rwanda have adopted a new policy that requires students to purchase knitted sweaters as part of the school uniform, creating a new, larger demand for knitted products. Women for Women International has identified a knitting machine that women can be readily trained to use to produce knitted items quickly and efficiently.

Food Production: There is a growing demand among the women in our program for training in both juice and bread production. Women in the more rural areas have shown heightened interest in developing local cooperatives to make and sell bread, and in purchasing large bread machines.

Soap-Making: Women for Women International has identified soap-making as a training option, especially for women in rural areas, because of its reliance on readily available, natural ingredients. Soap-making is a viable additional income source for these women to supplement any funds they may be receiving from home-based agricultural production.

For Rwanda, the last few months have been particularly important as the country has marked the 10-year anniversary of the genocide that began on April 7th, 1994, and lasted for 100 days. In April 2004, journalists, dignitaries, and human rights advocates from all over the world descended upon Rwanda to commemorate the event and to analyze the country’s progress.

On many fronts Rwanda has made miraculous progress in terms of infrastructure, economic growth, and implementation of political structures. Women especially, have been instrumental in rebuilding the country. They uncovered mass graves, buried the dead, built shelters, and found homes for nearly 500,000 orphans. Today, women hold nearly 50 percent of seats in Rwanda’s new bicameral parliament. On the other hand, many are concerned that much of the tension, and other symptoms that led to the genocide are still present in Rwanda and neighboring countries, and that the wonderful stability the nation is experiencing is dependant on somewhat questionable terms. We continue to hope for the best and move forward with our efforts to help socially excluded women in our program recover from the war, and participate in their own development and that of the country.

While participants move me almost daily with their incredible stories, Aquirina Nyirabangwiza of the Masoro group stands out. During my recent visit to the Masoro group, the topic of the rights awareness education workshop was “The Economic Value of Housework.” This topic from the Women’s World manual gets women thinking about the crucial role they play in supporting their families, though many get little or no financial or emotional reward for their efforts. Our trainer had been talking about the difficult tasks women in Rwanda perform and Aquirina was particularly outspoken about having built her own house without any help from a man. When asked why not, she said she did not need help as she could do such things on her own. While many women in Rwanda take part in construction activities, this seemed like quite an accomplishment for one woman.

Aquirina, a petite but visibly strong woman, is clearly used to fending for herself. She was born and grew up not far from the community center where we meet the Masoro women. She was orphaned at a young age and was raised by neighbors. Now grown and with five children living with her, it is clear that she wants each of them to learn the value of independence. She is proud that her younger three children are all in school. When I asked why she sends her daughter to school (she’s at a relatively high level of schooling for the village), Aquirina replied “she will be independent and not depend on anyone.” She also says that this girl, Marceline (17), is very clever, and she hopes she will go on to secondary school. Aquirina also pointed out that all of her children do household chores, and even the boys fetch water, collect firewood, and know how to cook. Her spirit is admirable, and her example a great one for her friends in the Masoro group.

I look forward to identifying others like Aquirina in the months ahead and helping our participants to learn from each other’s experiences and examples. Our new office and staff offer an exciting opportunity to put into practice new ideas and initiatives that will increase our impact on participants, their families, and their communities. Thank you again for all that you do to support these courageous survivors.

Best,

Wendy Shapiro
Country Director, Women for Women International – Rwanda

Former Country Director Wendy Shapiro’s Journal March 2004

The last few months have been relatively calm in Rwanda. The new government is up and running and though there are always adjustments to a new system, things are moving forward. The repatriation of Rwandan refugees from neighboring countries began again (there are still thousands of Rwandan refugees in Africa – in particular in Uganda and Congo). This repatriation has occurred in waves since the end of the genocide, but the Government of Rwanda, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is hoping to move toward the conclusion of the repatriation. Unfortunately, the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the international court established in Arusha, Tanzania to try high-level genocide suspects, is moving more slowly than most Rwandans would like. The domestic rural court system for lower-level offenders, called Gacaca, is also plugging along, but not without controversy. Rwandans have little faith in the court procedures and because the process is so time consuming, their interest is beginning to diminish. There is also increasing fear of participating in the trials due to backlash against witnesses. With the 10 year anniversary of the genocide approaching (April 7th is considered the first day of the genocide) Rwanda is preparing both emotionally and physically to both address the past and move forward constructively.


Women for Women International – Rwanda moved forward with its goal during recent months to open a formal Chapter of Women for Women International in Rwanda. Until now, we have implemented our program in Rwanda through a local partner, “Speak, I Am Listening.” In February we received official registration as an International NGO working in Rwanda. This transition will allow us to bring a greater variety of rights awareness and leadership education, vocational skills training, and income-generation support to the women we work with. We look forward to future collaboration with Speak, I Am Listening and they will be our new neighbors, but we are also excited about entering this next phase in our growth and success!


By the end of March, we hope to be operating 100 percent out of our new office and should have most of our new staff on board. We selected the site because of its easy access to participants and its high potential for providing both rights awareness and vocational training on site. Our new Program Coordinator is working very closely with all of the staff to improve the quality – in particular the lasting impact – of the Renewing Women’s Life Skills (ReneWLS) rights awareness and vocational skills training programs. She is training our Manual Trainers, who provide rights awareness and leadership education to the women in the Sponsorship Program, to use creative ways of communicating the lessons to the participants in the program. By incorporating more discussions and role plays, participants are retaining the information and are gaining a better understanding of the value and purpose of each topic. We are also very fortunate now to have an Administration and Finance Director guiding us through the seemingly endless procedures associated with operating in this country.


In the meantime, nearly 400 participants graduated from the Sponsorship Program in Rwanda in recent months, with a nearly equal number of new women starting the program. We have maintained a balance of urban and rural participants – dedicating two days a week to workshops in the city of Kigali and the other two days to field visits in villages around the country. Many of our new groups of women have opened savings accounts to which they are contributing portions of their sponsorship funds. They are also developing plans for how to invest their funds in projects that will generate income throughout and after their year in our program. Many women in Berwa, for example, have purchased start-up materials for their stalls in the local market. The women of Masoro have pooled funds to purchase a large sugar cane plot. They hope to have their first harvest soon and they will be selling their crop to local sugar producer Kabuye Sugar Factory, the only sugar factory in Rwanda.


One of my favorite stories about our participants is that of Concessa Mukarusagara of the Masaka group. Concessa, a widow with four children, recently began the program and has already put her sponsorship money to work starting a business in her village. She did get a slight head start as Concessa participates in a “tauntine” with other women in the Masaka group. Each month she and other nine other women contribute RWF1,000 each, the equivalent of about $2.00US each, to a kitty (“kibina” in Kinyarwanda) and every month one takes it home to use as she wishes. She was an early “winner” of the kitty and she used this money to buy stock for a shop. Among the goods she purchased were rice, sugar, beans, tomato paste (foods that are easy to stock), soap, candles, and kerosene (used for local night lamps called “katadowas”). Concessa did a particularly impressive job of budgeting for her shop and has laid out a detailed plan for reinvesting two-thirds of her profits in growing the business and using one-third to purchase goods for herself and her family. She is looking forward to buying herself new shoes and some fabric with which to make clothes for herself and her family, and eventually to buy livestock.


Concessa’s progress is commendable, but what is more impressive is her interest in helping others to improve their own situations. During our last discussion with the Masaka group it became clear that the other winner of the “kibina,” Rose Zihinjishi, had plans for a tomato business that would have resulted in a quick loss. Concessa took Rose under her wing to work out the details of initial costs and potential profits. I hope they will both find success in their new endeavors and look forward to following up on their progress later in the program.

Best regards,

Wendy Shapiro
Country Director, Women for Women International -- Rwanda

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