Empower 100 Rural Women in Rwanda in 100 Days

Inspire and Empower 100 Women in 100 Days

A three month, ATEDEC project, 100% funded by the family and friends of Caroline Anne Argrave (Mutesi) and Rory Dillon (Rukundo) through the Global Giving website.

Objectives:

• To provide 100 very vulnerable women in the villages of Kagano, Karengera, Bushekeri and Ruharambuga in the Nyamasheke District of the Western Province of Rwanda with practical assistance to start small - quick turnover - businesses enabling them to improve their income.
• To provide 100 very vulnerable women in the Nyamasheke District with psychosocial support - especially trauma counselling.

Action Already Taken:

• 100 Very vulnerable - female - beneficiaries, identified.
• 100 Beneficiaries' circumstances surveyed and recorded.
• 5 Co-operatives - each of 20 women - created.
• 5 Co-operative bank accounts opened.
• Income generating activitiy chosen by each woman.
• Training conducted in small business and entrepreneurship skills including: saving, investment, building a small business plan, flexibility of business, quality of products, keeping stock, organisational skills, equipment requirements, handling products in a safe and hygienic way.
• Training sessions were also used as an opportunity to discuss healthy nutrition (especially in children), health in pregnancy and family planning.
• Start up capital was distributed on Tuesday 13th November 2012.
• Trauma counsellors were introduced to the co-operatives on Tuesday 13th November 2012.

Next Steps:

• Monitoring and Evaluation will be carried out by repeating the original survey (conducted before the project began) after one month, after two months and after three months.
• Results will be shared with District Leaders, Profemme Twese Hamwe (the leading women's rights organisation in Rwanda), with AVEGA (who have provided trauma counsellors), with the Gender Monitoring Office of Rwanda and with any other interested parties.
• Obstacles will be addressed on a continuing basis throughout the project.
• In partnership with AVEGA, psychosocial support - especially trauma counselling - will be provided to 100 women for a period of three months.
• Monitoring and Evaluation of this activity will be provided - to ATEDEC - by AVEGA after one month, after two months and after three months.
• Obstacles will be addressed on a continuing basis throughout the project.
• Results will be shared with District Leaders, Profemme Twese Hamwe, with the Gender Monitoring Office and with any other interested parties.