How did 42 women – mostly widows and survivors of genocide who were living on less than 50 cents a day – move out of poverty and despair and into hope and action? 

The women of Ebenezer Cooperative (formerly known as All Souls) demonstrate how the power of new thinking and of coming together can transform communities and lives. 

Sidat’s Story

One year after the Ebenezer women completed their Vicoba Training, I had the joy of visiting with their group and hearing their updates. One woman named Sidat (pictured above), a widow and genocide survivor, was caregiver for several children she had taken in, an adult daughter with severe cognitive disability, and her elderly mother. I watched Sidat stand tall and speak to the group, telling her story. 

 

She had felt she had no way forward. Her family did not have enough food or any medical care. Her burden was heavy and she had not known what to do. That began to change when Vicoba was brought to her cooperative group. Sidat found support and encouragement and a place to work and start saving small sums each week. Her savings grew in the group’s community fund as others took out loans and repaid with interest. 

 

It took months, but Sidat eventually saved enough to buy herself a chicken. That chicken grew and began to provide eggs. She and her family could eat eggs, sell eggs and hatch chicks. With improved health and energy and with one chick at a time, her contributions to the Vicoba savings fund grew. Sidat continued saving – enough to buy a goat – and then she kept going. She saved and saved till she had funds to buy a bike taxi (over $100 USD) as an enterprise for one of her boys. Practically glowing and with a flourish of her arms, she shared her progress, her pride, and her peace of mind. Watch a video about Sidat’s story here. 

Ebenezer Women’s Cooperative was one of the first communities to participate in an African Road Vicoba training outside of Uganda. Five years later, this once shy and discouraged group of women is now a cooperative of community leaders. They stand tall and they teach others. 

Women Becoming Experts Together

African Road recently funded a full Vicoba training for a new cooperative in Rwanda, and Ebenezer offered to provide a site visit for the new group in training. 

Comprised of both men and women, the new Vicoba Plus training group is made up of members from Reach Rwanda, an African Road partner focused on healing, reconciliation, and economic empowerment for genocide survivors and perpetrators. 

The Unity Group made a long bus journey to the Ebenezer group and were surprised to find a simple gathering of rural ladies leading the site visit sessions. That surprise soon grew but in ways they did not expect: The women of Ebenezer were Vicoba experts. They stood tall, smiled and laughed freely, and taught well. Though their poverty had been more crushing than what the Unity Group members faced, they had each risen up by working together. 

Impact that Inspires Others to Dream Big

The Unity group members had never seen such a thing before and they were amazed. In mixed gender groups in Rwanda, it is common for women to be less outspoken and for men to dominate conversation. On the bus ride home, it was all they could talk about: how confident and smart and helpful those women were. How would their own group improve if the women brought their ideas and their strength to the table too? 

Two months later, the Unity Group is still inspired by their visit to the Ebenezer Cooperative. All members – both women and men – are bringing their voices and ideas to the group. They are dreaming and saving and sharing and learning in new ways. 

I can hardly wait to visit this group again. Imagine what they will create together in one year and two years, and five years! When we come together for the sake of others and bring what we have, we all are changed.

Your generosity fuels the work of African Road. You are helping women and families, and entire communities, to step forward, stand tall, dream big dreams and make great strides in enterprise and in life together. You are part of these stories of hope. 

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