How does a vulnerable youth in rural Rwanda obtain money to launch a business, especially during a pandemic?! Felicien Habagusenga and Solange Dusambemariya know! They are youth of Rungano-Ndota Initiative in Rwanda, and they earned loans to help them survive Covid and improve their livelihoods. Felicien raises pigs and Solange sells vegetables in the market. Both are stronger now, thanks to these loans and the coaching that surrounds them as part of this innovative initiative in rural Rwanda.
Relationships and collaboration make this success possible. To deal with the Covid crisis and save lives, Rwanda Youth Partnership (RYP) and Rungano-Ndota (RNI) built this loan fund on the strength of their work together since they started in 2016.
RNI is a Rwandan innovation in youth empowerment that was created by a group of young leaders from rural Rwanda. Motivated by their childhood experience during and after the 1994 genocide, they decided to help other youth in their community who struggle because of who they are: vulnerable youth who are very poor. The founders had no experience running an NGO, by 2020 these young leaders had enrolled 200 vulnerable youth in their program!
Part of this success is based in collaboration with RYP, which assists RNI with fundraising, program development, and building a global community of support. During Covid, RNI and RYP teams were in steady communication to encourage each other and find ways to respond.
Our conversations led to important steps forward:
- The new loan fund for all RNI youth to earn loan and grant support for their businesses, including Solange and Felicien
- Emergency cash support for all 200 youth to purchase food and soap from local shops
- A series of “Virtual Visits to Rwanda” that have engaged over 150 people, many of whom have become donors or volunteers
We continue building relationships! You are most welcome to join our community on a Virtual Visit! How could you miss the opportunity? … Your seat is booked!
For more information, please contact us:
Vincent Pallotti Gatera at RNI: blessedgatera@gmail.com
Todd Fry at RYP:rypartnership@gmail.com