Rwanda-one4one's Umva Project focuses on income-generating employment for marginalized Rwandan women who are survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Due to their age and lack of education, their employment opportunities are severely limited. Rwanda-one4one trains these women in the art of natural dyeing and provides a means for them to sell their products at our new Umva boutique in Musanze, Rwanda. Employment brings them stability, a sense of control, connection with a team, and hope.
Nearly one million Rwandans were brutally slaughtered in the 1994 genocide. Most of the survivors were widows and children. Female heads of household in Rwanda can barely cultivate enough food for their families along with providing child care and fulfilling other household duties. There is no free public education in Rwanda and many families cannot afford the $300 per year for primary and secondary school. The brutal cycle of poverty continues.
We provide Rwandan women an income-earning craft of naturally dyeing fabric to create wearables and home goods and we fund education for children. Income in the hands of women, coupled with education for children, is the most effective means of lifting families and communities from poverty. The World Bank estimates that 90% of women's earnings are invested in their families. Education increases a child's chance of living a healthy life, increases income opportunities and promotes peace.
Sustainable peace in Rwanda can only be achieved by rebuilding its social and familial structure along with its economic and physical infrastructure. Women play a critical role in this process. Investment in women and children helps break the crushing cycle of poverty, improving the lives of families and strengthening the social fabric of the community. Our mission is to invest in women and children as a means to this end.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
