Rose : from extreme poverty to the status of woman entrepreneur

“My name is Rose and I have six children. Before we joined a FXBVillage program, we lived in a very precarious situation in Buterere. My husband and I could no longer support our family. Four of my children had dropped out of school because of this misery, even though it was the only way to equip them for the future. We had no savings to buy the tools that would have enabled my husband to work as a professional welder. We were at an absolute dead end, my children were suffering, we were discriminated against in our community and our couple was in danger”.

From the moment the family was selected for the programme, they received support in terms of food aid, a return to school for their children, access to adequate health care, urgent repairs to their substandard housing, and psychosocial support to help family members deal with the consequences of poverty and the various forms of violence they encountered.

After training in financial management and business administration, Rose received a small amount of seed capital in cash to start a milk business. With her first savings, she bought tools for her husband as well as sheet metal to put a roof over her house to protect herself from the recurring heavy rains.

Mentored by the FXB team in the development and diversification of her economic activity, Rose gradually set up a small business importing shoes, clothing and embroidered sheets from Uganda and Tanzania, which she resells in Bujumbura and the surrounding provinces.

The family has regained its dignity and its place in the community. All six children are in regular schooling and Rose dreams for them of a university education. She plans to complete the renovation of their house, buy furniture and connect it to running water. She also intends to successfully continue the development and consolidation of her economic activities.

“I am able today to raise my six children with dignity and look to the future with confidence.”