Meet the Communities We Serve

The Genocide in 1994 devastated Rwanda and traumatized the population. World Dance for Humanity is bringing help…and hope…to 28 Rwandan communities struggling to survive and create a sustainable livelihood.

The communities are organized as government-sanctioned cooperatives. Each co-op was formed by people with something in common who decided to pool their labor in an effort to stay alive. As you will see below, the profiles of these groups are quite varied. There are groups of widows, orphans, former sex-workers, unwed mothers, AIDS victims, poor farmers, and members of the previously warring ethnic groups (Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa) – all of whom now depend on each other to survive – with the help of World Dance for Humanity.

We provide donations of LIVESTOCK (goats and cows) for basic survival, TRAINING in agriculture, veterinary, business, and leadership, FARMLAND to increase crop yields, support for SMALL BUSINESSES managed collectively by each co-op, and basic resources like COOKSTOVES, MATTRESSES, TEXTBOOKS, and BIKES for transport. The key to these ventures is that the ideas and planning come from the co-op members themselves. Our Rwanda team works with the communities all year long to help them develop and implement their plans. The business plans are carefully vetted by our Board. Each business has a mentor from our Rwanda Business Committee that communicates with the co-op leadership each month.

A note on Never Again Fellowship: This is a group of 12 cooperatives (identified in the list below) focused on reconciliation and forgiveness among the formerly warring Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, and on integration of the Twa (Pygmy) people, a historically marginalized minority within Rwandan society. In 2008, 12 people made the courageous move to overcome the trauma they still bore, determined to stay alive by pooling their efforts to create a sustainable collective economy. Never Again has grow from its original 12 members to a total population of 8,168. Each community is working hard to create a sustainable livelihood and improve the lives of its members.

Please contact Janet Reineck if you would like to know more about the communities or contribute to the work we are doing in partnerships with these communities.

 

ABADACOGORA “Those Who Never Give Up”

Widows and orphans on the outskirts of Kigali
Founded in 2013 by 40 members / Current population: 430
Students Sponsored: 24
Businesses: Goat Farm, Grain Storage & Resale

The Abadacogora Cooperative is located on a steep hillside on the outskirts of Kigali. Established in 2013, it is made up of 40 households comprised mostly of Genocide widows and their children. They banded together, each giving a small amount of cash to start businesses selling charcoal and livestock. In 2013, World Dance for Humanity gave 40 goats and funding to build a shed for the animals. This yields fertilizer for their gardens and the sale of goats supplement their very limited income. They are hoping to fund a small business of buying and storing food during harvest times to sell in Kigali during when when food is scarce.

 

ABAGARUKANARUMURI “Those Who Return With Light” (Never Again Fellowship)

Single mothers in the Kayonza District
Founded in 2013 / Current population: 490
Students Sponsored: 13
Business: Farming

Abagarukanarumuri Co-op was founded in 2013 by six young women. It is entirely made up of single mothers, of whom 80% became pregnant while still in high school, forcing them to leave home and drop out of school. They decided to come together to create a new family after being rejected by their families. The co-op now has 60 members from 56 households, with a total population of 392 people.

When we met the Abaga women in August of 2019, we listened to tragic testimonies of those who had become pregnant while in their teens. Most of them had been forced to quit school. Many had been abused by family members and forced to leave their homes. All were ostracized by the community and cast adrift in poverty and shame. We have given them goats, cows, mattresses to sleep on, and are helping them finish high school. In August 2019, Janet raised the funds for her 65th birthday to buy the Abaga women a piece of land so they can begin farming on a larger scale.

The number of young women becoming pregnant out of wedlock is directly linked to the level of poverty in Rwanda, as young women have sex in exchange for basic necessities like food and clothing. Kayonza, the district in Eastern Rwanda where Abaga is located is one of the poorest regions and has one of the highest rates of unwed mothers. This has increased dramatically due to effects of COVID – with poverty on the rise.

As soon as COVID restrictions lift, the women of Abaga we will be launching a Family Planning Outreach Program with this co-op. These women, in partnership with local health practitioners, will go out to other co-ops to educate young women about the consequences of premarital sex. They are the best ones to train others about the importance of preventing pregnancy, having lived it and suffered so much because of it.


ABAHARANIRAMAHORO 
“Those Who Strive for Peace” (Never Again Fellowship)

Women singers in the Kayonza District
Founded in 2008 / Current population: 481
Students Sponsored: 10
Businesses: Event Rentals, Pig Farm

Abaharaniramahoro was formed by a talented group of singers, some of whom also knew how to play musical instruments. As the co-op grew, thanks to donations of livestock and farmland, they knew they needed to come up with a business idea that would support the entire community.

The co-op members decided that their skills would fit perfectly with the local need for an event business, so with a grant from the Procter & Gamble Alumni Foundation, they now have a very successful Event Rental Business, providing services to weddings, baptisms, political events, funerals, and other large gatherings. Abaha is also one of the leading co-ops in our Permagarden and Cookstove programs. Their next enterprise will be a Pig Farm!

 

ABAKUNDANA “People Who Love Each Other”

90% are Twa (Pygmies) and 10% are Genocide survivors and orphans in southwest Rwanda
Founded in 2012 by 50 members / Current population: 512
Students Sponsored: 12
Business: Sewing

In 2011, this group of pygmies left their isolated forest life to enter into modern Rwandan society as farmers and entrepreneurs. A centuries-old life of hunting and digging clay to make pottery has been replaced by a new identity and a new way of life. The Abakundana Cooperative began in 2012 with 50 members – it has now grown to a population of over 400.

The World Dance visit to the Twa (Pygmy) community in the southwest corner of Rwanda in June 2013 was the first contact the Twa had ever had with “Muzungus” (foreigners). Our encounter was rapturous — dancing together, embracing, reaching into each other’s hearts and lives.

Working together with our Rwanda team, the co-op researched business opportunities based on their experience and the market demand in the Bugarama District, home to 4,000 people. They found that the existing sewing industry did not meet the needs of local consumers. The business they envisioned would offer high quality, affordable clothing (primarily dresses and school uniforms) and clothing repairs to meet the demands of low- to middle-income clients.

Thanks to a gift from the Geiger family, the Twa were able to purchase 8 treadle sewing machines and hire a professional seamstress to train the women. The machines were delivered in June of 2014 during a visit by the World Dancers. We watched them use scissors and thread a needle for the first time. After a year of training and practice, the Twa opened their Sewing Business in June 2015. The women are now proud seamstresses with a successful business. They also are one of our four co-ops working on a “Reusable Menstrual Pad Project” to provide this critical resource for local women.

Because of ongoing border tensions with nearby countries, we haven’t been able to visit Abakundana since 2016, but their sewing business is still going strong and their community is doing very well!

 

ABISHYIZEHAMWE “United People”

Farmers, mostly women located 3 hours north of Kigali
Founded in 2011 by 25 members / Current population: 398
WD4H Donations: 4 Cows, Goats, Bike
Students Sponsored: 13
Businesses: Bakery, Grain Mill

Located in the remote mountains of northern Rwanda, this co-op was founded in 2011 by 25 poor farmers, mostly women, trying to survive by pooling their labor. There are now 149 members. Their land was decent, but they could never afford livestock or fertilizer. The community went to World Vision in 2012 for help but didn’t receive funding because they’re too small and isolated for the large aid groups to work with. They heard about the other Cooperatives WD4H is assisting and appealed to Justin to be included in our program. Our initial donations to the community included 30 goats and a cow in December of 2013.

Between 2017 and 2018, the community received three more cows: Jefferson, DeeJay, and Georgie – all donated by WD supporter Donna Eyman. Between the three of them, they have already produced 4 healthy calves!

The long-term vision of this community has been to improve their farming by introducing more livestock and to start a bakery. There is only one bakery in the area, 3 hours away that brings bread to the remote Abishyizehamwe community once a week. The community researched the viability of building their own bakery and thought long and hard about how to make it successful. They saw a strong market for the product: their community of 3,000 people including 2,000 students at 3 local boarding schools they will sign contracts with for 2 deliveries per week.

The bakery was funded in 2016 by WD4H supporter Michelle Joanou – and has been prospering ever since! The community learned many lessons from Tubeho bakery which was started a year earlier, and in turn has helped Good Family, our student co-op, launch their own bakery. This cross-training is a crucial part of our Rwanda business program.

The next step in growing their enterprise is to acquire a Grain Mill. This will not only allow them to grind their own grains for baking, but also offer milling services to local villagers.

 

BAHO “Live”

Located near Abishyizehamwe, 3 hours north of Kigali
Founded in 2018 / Current population: 401
Students Sponsored: 11
Business: Farmland

The Baho Cooperative is one of our newest communities, having joined the WD4H family in 2019. The co-op is made up of poor farmers who came together in 2018 with the hope of expanding their farming enterprise. Baho has been working steadily with our Rwanda Team on their leadership and management skills, as well as developing a business idea to sustain the co-op into the future. Because of their location, they are fortunate to have the chance to be mentored by Abishyizehamwe, one of our veteran co-ops nearby that runs a bakery.

 

COKAWI “Wake Up and Improve Yourself”

Former sex workers on the outskirts of Kigali
Founded in 2008 by 16 members / Current population: 272
Students Sponsored: 15
Business: Agriculture Training Center

The Cokawi Cooperative was founded in 2008 by 16 former female sex workers and orphans with HIV-AIDS. They pooled their ideas and energy to build a new life in the outskirts of Kigali. The co-op has grown to 183 members, relying on their goats, rabbits, and meager crops for sustenance. The Rwandan government gave Cokawi a 2.5-acre parcel of marshland to farm, but traditional methods of irrigation and draining are poor, and the crop yield is low, about 10% of what it would be if the land were well drained and fertilized.

Years ago, co-op members started looking into how they could improve the land to increase the harvest and create a viable goat and farm business. They arrived at a method of digging furrows and draining the land and so it can be readied for crops. They received a grant from a WD4H donor to convert the marshland to farmland and protect it from erosion. They used the funds to buy tools, hire an expert to help with technical aspects of the project, and hire some of the labor (all but two of the members are women and most of the members have AIDS). In 2017, the same donor provided funds to install an irrigation system to support the crops during the dry season (June to September).

In 2017 and 2018, WD4H supporters Starr Siegele and Larry Feinberg sponsored two intensive Permagarden trainings for our co-ops. Tom Cole, Permagarden expert, spent two weeks in Rwanda teaching representatives from each co-op the fundamentals of this simple, yet highly effective and sustainable, way of farming. Cokawi has benefitted greatly from these training, as they have the largest single plot of land in all our communities – which is now our largest (and most productive) permagarden!

 

COPAKIKA – Ubumwe Bwacu “Our Unity”

Women Genocide survivors on the outskirts of Kigali
Founded in 2007 by 211 members / Current population: 520
Students Sponsored: 17
Business: Farming

Copakika was founded in 2007 by a group of female Genocide survivors who banded together in the hope of improving their lives. After forming the cooperative, they were received a plot of land from the government but were having a hard time making ends meet. We adopted them as a co-op in 2017 and gave them 70 mattresses – one for every woman who had been sleeping on thin mats on the ground. Many of these women suffer from AIDS and the mattresses have made a big difference in their lives. We delivered 60 goats to them on January 2018, which has given them manure for their crops and a small income. We are working on helping them develop a business that will sustain this large community.

 

DUFATANYE “Helping Each Other”

Women with aids in north-central Rwanda near Ruhengeri
Founded in 2015 by 125 members / Current population: 532
Students Sponsored: 11
Business: “Gorilla Grass” Craft Store funded by Dharma in Motion Dance Cooperative in Los Angeles

Dufatanye was founded as a farming cooperative in 2015 by women, many of whom are Genocide survivors who suffer from AIDS. They are located in a very remote area in Rwanda’s northern province on the way to the famous mountain gorillas.

They were adopted by WD4H in 2017 and are working hard to open a craft store to sell goods to tourists, which was generously funded by a dance concert benefit held by Seonaugh & David Kummer’s Organization, Dharma in Motion, in 2019. The “Gorilla Grass” Craft Store will be located along the main road up to Rwanda’s famous mountain gorillas, which attract tourists from all over the world. The store will be run by the co-op members help from a few of our college graduates who majored in accounting and business.

Due to a series of delays, the women have been unable to open their store yet, but they are working hard to keep things moving and remain hopeful it will happen soon. Meanwhile, the Dufatanye women and our four other craft-making co-ops are putting their skills to great use by building up the inventory: baskets, bags, jewelry, and so much more!

 

EJO HABO “Their Tomorrow”

Orphans on the outskirts of Kigali
Founded in 2010 by 12 members / Current population: 25
Students Sponsored: 22
Businesses: Farming, Sewing

In 2010, Julian (Justin Bisengimana’s mother) started caring for 10 orphans from the Genocide in a village 2 hours south of Kigali. Over the years, Julian would take in children who were abandoned, orphaned, or brought to her for some other reason. She cares for them as her own and loves them deeply, so this is not a traditional orphanage where children are adopted out to other families. Ejo Habo is their family.

WD4H has given them 21 goats that produce both fertilizer for crops and goat offspring to sell for cash at the local market. The money raised helps the orphans attend school, cover health insurance, and other basic needs. In 2017, WD4H supporter Kathy Bart made a generous donation to help them start a pig business. Now they have goats, cows, pigs, and farmland. Each month, one of our World Dancers, Marcia Warrecker, underwrites a small salary for Bosco the farmer who oversees all the livestock and land. They have also started a Reusable Menstrual Pad Project to serve the women in their region. One of our recent college graduates, Odilla (sponsored by Janet Reineck), is the President of Ejo Habo, and is determined to ensure that every orphan has a chance to finish school.

In 2018, they received a grant from the Procter & Gamble Alumni Foundation to hire a professional goat breeder to start a Milk Goat Breeding enterprise, something very rare in Rwanda. Once the breeding program is underway, they’ll start helping other co-ops launch a milk goat program of their own.

 

GENDA UGIRE UTYO “Go and Do That”
Never Again Fellowship

Women’s Collective in the Gahini District
Founded in 2013 by 100 members / Current population: 1,908
Students Sponsored: 18
Business: Event Rentals, Bees

Genda Ugire Utyo is a large dynamic, inspired women’s co-op founded in 2013 by 100 members. There are now 236 members working together to survive and build a better life for themselves and their families. We visited the community in June of 2014 and were deeply impressed with their passion about the co-op and their belief in the future. They worked hard to come up with a business that would help sustain the members and decided to get in to Event Rentals. They are hired to decorate and set up weddings, funerals, church ceremonies, political meetings, and other public gatherings. A generous grant from the Procter & Gamble Alumni Foundation made this possible in 2017, and everyone is involved in making it a success.

 

GOOD FAMILY “Umuryango Mwiza”
Never Again Fellowship

Student-run cooperative
Founded in 2014 by 47 members / Current population: 350
Students Sponsored: 16
Business: Bakery

Good Family Cooperative was the vision of a group of high school and college students we sponsor from Imbereheza Co-op who made the bold decision to start their own co-op and develop their own income-generating enterprise, rather becoming official members of their parents’ co-ops and waiting for the unlikely prospect of finding jobs in their region. They joined with other students whose parents were members of the local co-ops, and started meeting together in 2014, learning more from Justin about the leadership and management skills they would need to run a successful cooperative. In 2017, they became a full-fledged, government-sanctioned cooperative.

Most of the Good Family members still live with their parents, so Good Family isn’t independent geographically – but it is a separate legal and economic entity. The first project they embarked on was to raise enough money to buy two pigs and start a small enterprise, saving all the money they made from this enterprise to invest in future opportunities. In 2017 they were adopted as one of WD4H’s co-ops and given 24 goats. In 2018 they were given a cow, “River,” by the San Diego World Dancers. We also sponsor 5 high school students, 5 high school grads hoping to attend college, and 4 college students. Thanks to our support, the ongoing guidance from our Rwanda team, and the dedication of these courageous young people, the community has grown to 350.

Their vision was to start a bakery to serve their region. In 2018 they were received a grant, through WD4H, from the Proctor and Gamble Alumni Foundation, for the bakery! They visited our two other bakeries, Tubeho and Abishyizehamwe, to learn are they could about the business. They’re in the process now of deciding on a good location, planning the construction of the oven with an oven-building expert, and looking for an electric mixer to purchase. This extraordinary group of young people now have everything they need to build a strong and sustainable community.

 

ICYERECYEZO “Vision”

Farmers in Eastern Rwanda
Founded in 2012 by 7 people
C
urrent population: 300
Students Sponsored: 12
Business: Faye’s First-Step Preschool

Icyerecyezo Cooperative was formed in 2012 when 7 poor farming families contributed 100 Rwandan Francs each (about $15) to buy pigs and rabbits to raise together. There are now 209 people in the co-op, working together to improve their lives.

In 2019, we opened “Faye’s First-Step Preschool,” funded by WD4H donor Faye Massey. A veteran teacher, Faye was inspired by Icyerecyezo’s dream of building a preschool for children ages 4 to 7 who are too young to walk two hours to the nearest primary school. In partnership with World Dance for Humanity, the co-op built a school with two classrooms to accommodate 100 students in two daily sessions. Now the children will get an education, new experiences and ideas, and will begin to create their own dreams for the future, thanks to the generosity of their Guardian Angel – Faye Massey!

 

IMBEREHEZA “Better Future”
Never Again Fellowship

Genocide survivors in the Gahini District
Founded in 2008 / Current population: 1,302
Students Sponsored: 16
Business: Farming

Imbereheza is a large, ethnically diverse cooperative that was founded back in 2008. Two of our newer co-ops (Good Family and Itorero) are off-shoots of this community. Imbereheza is one of our largest agriculture-based communities – instead of pursuing a traditional business, they have chosen to focus on their livestock and farming, which now utilizes all of the permagarden techniques they have learned from our trainings.

 

INYABUTATUSABANA “Three Peoples Unite”
Never Again Fellowship

Old farmers in the Kayonza District
Founded in 2008 / Current population: 442
Students Sponsored: 5
Business Funded: Grass Cutting

Inyabutatusabana is a community led by elders, many of whom are now unable to do traditional farm work. Because of this, they decided to start a eucalyptus tree plantation, since growing trees requires much less physical work than growing seasonal crops. The trees, which are mature enough to harvest after two years, are sold for firewood and construction. The leaves are also sold for eucalyptus oil and other uses.

In addition to the tree plantation, Inyabutatusabana had the idea to create a grass-cutting business for large properties in their region such as government grounds. The children of the older members are able to easily work the machinery and run the business. This business has great potential for growth.

 

ITORERO NYARWANDA (Traditional Dancers)
Never Again Fellowship

Professional dance group, offshoot of Imbereheza
Founded in 2016 by 75 members / Current population: 520
Students Sponsored: 5
Businesses: Farming, Event Dancers

Like its neighbor Good Family Co-op, Itorero was founded by young people who decided to form their own cooperative instead of joining of their parents’ co-op, Imbereheza. In 2016 they established themselves as an official government-sanctioned cooperative with the goal of supporting themselves as performers of traditional Rwandan dances for weddings, baptisms, and other events in their region. They were adopted as a WD4H co-op in 2017 and given 76 goats to care for. When they’re not dancing, they continue to help with the farming at Imbereheza. In August of 2019, World Dancer Amy Cluck and Board Member Michelle Pasini generously donated the funds for the co-op to purchase new costumes and instruments for their dance troupe. Traditional dance performances are an important part of Rwandan celebrations, and, once the COVID lockdown is over, the group will once again be in demand!

 

KOMERA “Courage”

AIDS victims, south of Kigali
Founded in 2008 by 100 members / Current population: 467
Students Sponsored: 9
Business: Farming

Located 90 minutes from Kigali in the Bombogo Sector of Central Rwanda, the Komera Cooperative was founded in 2008 by 100 genocide survivors who have AIDS. Knowing they couldn’t survive as marginal farmers with a debilitating disease, they decided to work together and support each other to ensure their long-term sustainability. There are now 373 people in the co-op. They grow corn, vegetables, and raise livestock, including 3 cows and 112 goats donated by World Dance for Humanity. Together they generate income from selling cow milk and the goat offspring. Through community effort and hard work, they are teaching future generations that despite AIDS, change is possible.

Komera is hoping to fund a Water Business, which channel water from a municipal source to nearby villages, something another one of our co-ops, Ruganeheza, has done successfully, and which the government is very happy about.

 

KUNGABU (Fish Farmers)

Fish farmers in southwest Rwanda
Founded in 2008 by 30 members / Current population: 486
Students Sponsored: 36
Businesses: Tilapia Fish Farm, Fish Food Production

In 2008, 30 families founded this Cooperative near Lake Kivu in Southwest Rwanda with a vision for a business that would sustain all of the members: the farming of Tilapia fish. Under the leadership of Callixte Sebakungu (now 81 years old), they started collecting a small amount of money from each member and were able to purchase a piece of land and agricultural tools to dig 16 massive fish ponds and build 16 rabbit houses on each pond so as to feed the small fish the rabbit droppings. Goats for Life gave them a grant of $9,000 to help them purchase the baby Tilapia to start the project. They managed the money wisely and were able to build an office and store where they sell the fish.

In June 2013, World Dance for Humanity visited the Kungabu Cooperative for the first time. Unbeknownst to us, they had waited for our visit to harvest their first crop of Tilapia. We helped them cut the ribbon in front of their brand-new store and watched them sell their first fish. This is the beginning of a brighter future for this community, one that will set a model for other Cooperatives in the country.

Rwanda’s fish farmers are dependent on Uganda for a special fish food the Tilapia need to grow big enough to sell commercially. Thanks to the efforts of Betsy Kain and Sadie Leventhal, we were able to purchase a fish food machine, the first of its kind in Rwanda, so they will be able to produce fish food, not only for their own Tilapia, but to sell to the surrounding fish farmers.

The Rwandan government was so impressed with Kungabu’s hard work, they gifted the co-op a hatchery to grow baby tilapia, called “fingerlings.” This has become a lucrative part of Kungabu’s business and a great resource to other fish farmers.

 

MIGERE (Name of their region)
Never Again Fellowship

Founded in 2018 / Current population: 607
Genocide survivors in Eastern Rwanda
Students Sponsored: 5
Business: Farming

Migere is our newest cooperative, having joined our program in the Spring of 2020. The co-op was founded in 2018 and has 97 co-op members: 50 women and 47 men, with a current population of 490 people. They are a farming co-op located close to Genda Ugire Utyo in Eastern Rwanda. Like  other Never Again Fellowship co-ops, Migere is made up of Genocide survivors and members from the previously warring ethnic groups, living together in reconciliation. They have vowed to be united as one people for the sake of their collective development. With our help, Migere will one day start a Soybean Farm.

 

MURINDI (Name of their region)

Widows and orphans in the outskirts of Kigali
Founded in 2012 by 39 members / Current population: 347
Students Sponsored: 29
Business: Sewing

Located in the outskirts of Kigali, the Murindi Cooperative was started in 1990 by 40 widows and orphans who had survived the 1994 Genocide. Some were victims of rape and had contracted AIDS. These courageous women decided to work together to find solutions for their survival and long-term development. Goats for Life and World Dance for Humanity have provided goats and 10 cows. The sale of the goats’ offspring and of cow milk covers their basic needs. They have a lively entrepreneurial spirit and were creating a Micro-Dairy where they could raise cows and sell the milk.

In 2018 they received funding from Naima Sudjian-Carlisle and the P&G Alumni Foundation to start a sewing enterprise. After many months of training, the women now have a successful sewing business!

 

RUGANEHEZA “Taking the Nation to a Better Future”
Never Again Fellowship

Genocide survivors in Kayonza District
Founded 2008 / Current population: 445
Students Sponsored: 22
Businesses: Ventilation Bricks, Water Distribution

Ruganeheza was founded in 2008 by a Genocide survivor and a Genocide perpetrator who came together in reconciliation to start this community. The co-op has two businesses, both started in 2017. The first is a Water Distribution storefront for the people in their region, funded by Martina Michenfelder, Starr Siegele, and Kathy Bart. The second is a Ventilation Brick Business, funded by Procter & Gamble Alumni Foundation. Both businesses are doing very well! The brick business is seeking funding for building a storage space to keep bricks after they’ve dried, and the water business is seeking funding for a water storage unit to have water on hand during dry spells.


TUBEHO
“Let Us Live”

Women with AIDS south of Kigali
Founded in 2011 by 35 members / Current population: 274
Students Sponsored: 7
Business: Bakery

Tubeho Cooperative was started in 2011 by 35 men and women, most of whom have AIDS. Currently, 170 members survive by growing crops for their own food and to sell at market to earn money for other basic needs in their households. The only bread available was 90 minutes away in Kigali, and the co-op members researched the possibility of starting a bakery in their region.

In 2014 they received a $4,500 grant from a World Dancer to purchase materials and equipment, build an oven, and rent a small house that will serve as a shop. They hired an experienced baker for 5 months to teach them to be bakers. On April 28, 2015, the Tubeho Bakery opened their doors for business – selling bread, cakes, and many more delicious baked goods. Their first customers were in their own community; now they’re supplying bread to shops and schools throughout the region. This is a huge victory for this community and the beginning of a livelihood for all! Soon they will be expanding their bakery into a little café with a seating area for customers who want to enjoy a cup of tea with their bread or fritter.

 

TUZAMURANE “Let Us Lift Each Other Up”
Never Again Fellowship

Located in the Kayonza District
Founded in 2018 / Current population: 678
Students Sponsored: 11
Ventilation Bricks

Tuzamurane Co-op was founded by a group of women seeking solutions to social problems: healthcare, food security, and other family needs. There are now 83 members (70 women and 13 men) and their families – a total population of 476. They are farming their individual plots of land and contributing what they make to the collective economy. They also have a small internal credit and savings program. In May 2019, we donated 75 mattresses for families who sleeping on the ground. They will soon receive two full-grown, pregnant cows from us.

Tuzamurane is seeking funding for a ventilation brick business, following the example of one of our veteran co-ops, Ruganeheza. These are the bricks with decorative open spaces used in all building construction in Rwanda. They have begun making the bricks in a primitive way – they need more training and to purchase metal molds to turn this into a productive enterprise.

 

TWIRERERABANA “Let Us Raise Our Children”

Unwed mothers and widows north of Kigali
Founded in 2013 by 105 members / Current population: 261
Students Sponsored: 10
Business Funded: Dignity Café

The Twirererabana Cooperative in northern Rwanda was founded by a group of unwed mothers who had been rejected by the babies’ fathers and by their own families. They formed a cooperative in 2013 to help each other survive. They dreamed of becoming farmers and sending their children to school, and World Dance stepped up to help them, donating 45 goats, 2 cows, farmland, and stipends for school. The cooperative is led by a courageous, clever, inspiring woman named Olive. The community now has 527 members, their crops are doing well, the children and teens are attending school, and their vision for the future is expanding.

In 2015, they came up with the idea of opening a store where they could sell the food they grow. WD4H supporter Michelle Joanou donated the amount needed to purchase the building and start the business. The women called the cafe “Isheja” (Dignity) to reflect the role this project is playing in their lives. It is strategically located where their district’s health clinic, school, and government office are. Their leader Olive thought of installing a TV and refrigerator, things very new in this region, to draw customers, and her plan worked! The restaurant opened March 29, 2016, with great joy and celebration. It was a historic moment for these women. Once outcasts, they are now leaders in their region.

 

TWISUNGANE “Supporting Each Other”
Never Again Fellowship

Women’s Collective in Kayonza District
Founded in 2008 / Current population: 471
Students Sponsored: 13
Business: Pig Farm

The Twisungane Cooperative was formed in 2008 as part of Never Again Fellowship. Majority of the members are women, and many of them have AIDS. They were our first co-op to learn the Permagarden techniques from expert trainer Tom Cole and have been instrumental in teaching all the neighboring co-ops these skills.

Thanks to a grant from Procter & Gamble Alumni Foundation, in 2018 they were able to realize their dream of starting a pig farm. They brought in an expert pig-shed builder to construct the shed, and their pigs are now happy, healthy, and pregnant! They now have many piglets to look after and sell to other local farmers.

 

TWIYUBAKE “Let Us Build Ourselves Up”
Never Again Fellowship

Women handcraft entrepreneurs in the Kayonza District
Founded in 2008 / current population: 474
Students Sponsored: 14
Business: Sewing & Crafts, Reusable Menstrual Pads

Twiyubake Family is a community of experienced, savvy, and skilled craft-women, who can do everything from basket-weaving to jewelry-making, to sewing and knitting. They had been doing research since 2013 to identify economic opportunities in their community based on the skills of their members, what they spend money on the most, and the demands of the local community. They found that the existing sewing industry in their area does not meet all the customers’ needs and there is little competition in this area.

In April 2014, Kathy Bart funded knitting and sewing machines so the women can produce a broad range of high-quality dresses and school uniforms at a competitive price to meet the demands of low to middle-income residents in the small town of Kayonza (5,100 residents). One of the co-op members is a skilled seamstress, and they hired a teacher to make sure their instruction was complete. The business opened in May 2015 and has been doing very well ever since. They are one of our four co-ops producing reusable menstrual pads for the women of their region and they also will be one of the main contributors to the craft store at our Dufatanye Co-op.

 

UMUNEZERO “Joy”

Women Genocide survivors south of Kigali
Founded in 2010 by 40 members / Current population: 342
Students Sponsored: 20
Business: Juice-Making

The Umunezero Co-op was formed in 2010 by 40 women, including genocide survivors – 95% of whom have AIDS. The women have developed a small farming income thanks to donations of goats and cows from WD4H. In May 2014, World Dance helped Umunezero purchase a two-acre parcel of land and buy materials to build the cow shed. The project is managed by the co-op members, including sales, management, and finances, and is prospering.

In 2019, the co-op launched their Beet Juice-Making Business “Joy Juice” funded by the P&G Alumni Foundation. During our summer trip, we were able to see simple but marvelous elements of her co-op’s fledgling enterprise: shelving, a small fridge, a well-built wooden table, and a beautiful industrial juicer that came all the way from China. We all got a taste of the juice and were flabbergasted – these aren’t just beets, they’re sugar beets! The taste was fresh, sweet, and splendid…and the co-op is thrilled with their new enterprise. They are now seeking funding to expand their juice business.

 

URUMURI “Light” (Never Again Fellowship)

Located near Abishyizehamwe, 3 hours north of Kigali
Founded in 2018 / Current population: 408
Students Sponsored: 13
Business: Juice-Making

Urumuri Cooperative was founded in 2018 by Marie Mukamurisa, a 58-year-old woman who gathered together local women to address the extreme poverty in their village. They’ve been working steadily with our Rwanda Team on their leadership and management skills, and are being mentored by Abishyizehamwe, one of our veteran co-ops located nearby. This year we rallied our supporters and were able to contribute 50 goats and 3 full-grown, pregnant cows to Urumuri. Now the co-op has manure for the crops and milk as a protein source. They’re also learning permaculture techniques from Abishyizehamwe.

They’ve been saving their money, and this year were able to send the co-op’s vice president, a young man named Jean Baptiste, to learn about fruit juice production. Since then they’ve been making juice, squeezing and bottling it by hand. Their vision is to turn this into a productive enterprise by purchasing an industrial juice extractor, refrigerator, bottle capping machine, and supplies. Urumuri will be mentored in this enterprise by Umunezero, one of our veteran co-ops that is running a juice business in another region.