The Power of (More Than) One

Since starting our program 4 days ago I’ve realized that the most powerful thing we provide these women is the fellowship they have once or twice a week. The RAs are not the most stringent in their religious beliefs, but the one thing organized religion provides for its members is a sense of community and fellowship. The women we work with all have different stories, different homelives and different family structures; but the common strand is that they all have come seeking something from the GBV group. On the surface of course, they are seeking training for IGAs (Income Generating Activities), but under that is a sense of belonging.

The stories of these women range from husbands who do not work and are illiterate, to abusive husbands that threaten to kill them. We had one woman tell our supervisor that her husband often threatens her life and that she has had to move into her children’s room to feel safe. She is HIV positive. Other women are coming to learn so that they can provide for their young children in hopes of a better future for them.

So as we end the week on a positive note of epic basket-weaving, a finished load of handwashed clothes, hemmed dresses and awesome school days, we continue to be excited about what we provide these women: a room that contains a sense of belonging for women who often feel so alone in their world. We’re excited to be a part of their community and to have been accepted so quickly and fully. These women are the backbone of Rwandan society even if they are often invisible. They are working, literally, their hands to the bone to provide a better future for their children and that, friends, is one thing that we couldn’t be happier to participate in.