Project helps women achieve self-sufficiency

 

(MissionNewswire) The Don Bosco School of Technical and Vocational Education in Muhazi, Rwanda, has held its first graduation ceremony for an agriculture course focused on women’s education. The graduating class was made up of 21 young mothers, all of whom came from vulnerable situations.

During the six-month course, the young women learned to produce soap and tofu to sell as a source of income. They also had the opportunity to participate in an internship and connect with mentors from various companies and cooperatives. Upon completing the class, each woman received a toolkit to help them begin their employment.

One of the objectives of this course was to promote gender equality and eradicate poverty among the young mothers. Another one of its primary objectives was to enable women to diversify their professional skills, thus ensuring they had more than one activity to depend on for income, if necessary.

“I want to thank all our benefactors because it is thanks to their help that I have been able to acquire skills,” said Rachel, one of the course participants. “Now, I am ready to put into practice what I have learned, wherever it is in Rwanda. Thanks to the pay I will receive, I will be able to support my child and my brothers and sisters who depend on me.”

Another participant, Florence, was likewise grateful for the class. She shared, “Because I’m poor, I used to ask people to rent me their fields, but I always ended up giving up because of the lack of proper skills. Now I am very happy with this experience because for the first time, I feel sure of what I can do thanks to what I have learned.”

The graduation ceremony was attended by Father Raymond Bavumiragiye, who delivered the commencement speech. During his speech, Fr. Bavumiragiye asked the graduates to use the skills they had acquired to protect themselves from those who might want to take advantage of them. He also encouraged them to continue pursuing their education and improving their well-being. Now that the inaugural cohort has graduated, a second class is already underway.

Salesian missionaries offer a range of educational and social development programs to people living in Rwanda. Through these programs, youth experiencing poverty have access to health, nutrition, education and general support services that promote their well-being and help them lead productive lives.

After bravely overcoming the trauma of the 1994 genocide, Rwandans looking to transform their country have made remarkable progress. Still, much remains to be done. Close to 39% of Rwandans live in poverty, according to the World Bank. Rwanda is a rural, agrarian country, and about 35% of its population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, some of which includes mineral and agro-processing. Many of the country’s orphaned children are the tragic result of a violent civil war. Half of all children drop out of primary school and 2.2 million people — 22% of the population — face critical food shortages.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Rwanda – Successful conclusion of the first agricultural course at the Don Bosco school in Muhazi for young mothers

Salesian Missions – Rwanda

UNICEF – Rwanda