Gender Equality Rwanda Project #44873

Empower 200 Rwandan Girls To Move Out Of Poverty

by Aspire Rwanda

Empower 200 Rwandan Girls To Move Out Of Poverty

Project Report | Jan 30, 2021
Your support helping girls smile again

By Peace Ruzage | Chief Executive Officer/Aspire Rwanda

Teddy (25) from Gasabo District, is one of our many young women who have been positively transformed both socially and economically through trainings under our project “Empower 200 Rwandan Girls To Move Out Of Poverty”. She tells us how she now enjoys an independent lifestyle without looking to family members as a source of income.

“I dropped out of school due to lack of fees after the death of my father who was solely responsible for paying my school dues from a small business of shop keeping in our village.”

Teddy, a once miserable young girl, started seeing light for an improved lifestyle after attending hairdressing and life skills programs.

“I was empowered and equipped with skills of hairdressing in Aspire Rwanda which has transformed my life as a young woman.”

Teddy told us, “After stopping schooling, I sat at home and would do farm and domestic work with my mother. As a young girl I lacked several things to make me look like other able girls in the village. My mother could not manage to provide for me or my other young siblings at home.

Being home all the time exposed me to many men whom I looked at as an alternative way of getting small money to buy myself basic needs as a girl. This was the only way out for my situation. I did all this in ‘total darkness’ because I never thought of the consequences of having multiple men, I never thought of HIV/AIDS, pregnancy and other STDs because I was not aware. I was so exposed, every day I placed my life to risk of being infected with HIV or becoming pregnant and facing isolation and rejection.”

“The trainings on HIV/AIDS knowledge and other sexual reproductive health information greatly opened my mind as a young girl. The enterprise and financial literacy knowledge encouraged me and others to form a small village savings group.

“I saved my little profit share from the group business and later requested a loan from the same group, which I used to start up my own mobile saloon business with my mother. It is now the base of our financial status at home and my young siblings school fees are paid from the income we earn.”

“Teddy ended her story with heartfelt appreciations: “Thank you to Aspire Rwanda and all those who support them. I wish you sponsor and train many more girls such that we can live an empowered and independent life as young girls and not be trapped in poverty by men.”

We would very much appreciate if you can share about this project with your friends, family and who feel strongly about girls' education. We encourage you to donate monthly here. Even a few dollars a month will go a long way. Please also share this with your contacts and invite them to consider supporting this ongoing project.

With great appreciation

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Oct 5, 2020
From Hopeless to HOPE

By Peace Ruzage | Chief Executive Officer/Aspire Rwanda

Dear partner,

Thank you very much for your continued support towards this sustainable project. We wanted to share with you the achievement of beneficiary

“ I never though I could be someone in life, I thank Aspire Rwanda for empowering me and bringing the best out of me” says participant (22 years old). She is one of many young people whose life was changed through the empowerment and support at Aspire Rwanda.

In 2017, she was hopeless after she passed only 2 subjects at Ordinary Level and could not proceed to high education or secure employment. Being the fourth child in a family of 8, headed by her Mother who was struggling to put food on the table,she had no other option out to start buying and selling clothing items in the street. Life became a bitter pill to swallow for her as nothing materialised from her small business and she thought she could never make it in life. With support of Aspire Rwanda, she was enrolled and trained for hairdressing and Beauty in 2019 at Aspire Rwanda.

She is now employed at Ineza Saloon and earns a decent salary after completing part of her placement with them. She attributes her full time recruitment at saloon to good behaviour which was to a larger extent influenced by life skills training, a component embedded in Aspire Rwanda vocational training ,she is now helping her family to take care of her siblings.

This young women is planning to be an independent empowered young girl who will run her own business saloon.

Due to the high demand, new young women are requesting assistance from this project. Furthermore, the current project is unable to satisfy the needs of villagers within the current location. We wish to touch additional young women but the resources are limited. We will like to appeal for more support to ensure a prosperous future for the young women. We welcome your continued support in making a difference in the lives of more vocational girls. We encourage you to donate monthly here. Even a few dollars a month will go a long way. Please also share this with your contacts and invite them to consider supporting this ongoing project.

Thank you and Blessings unto you

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Jun 5, 2020
Vocational training skills changes a life

By Peace Ruzage | Chief Executive Officer/ Aspire Rwanda

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