EMPOWERING WOMEN STARTS WITH YOU

AWHI has served 708 women and 19 women’s cooperative groups since 2022

“With a microloan, I now have more confidence, more self worth and now I can feed my family and send my children to school.”

— Janice, AWHI microloan recipient

A Message from Rwanda

What Poverty Looks Like in Rwanda

The 1994 Genocide in Rwanda caused a ripple effect.

It killed 800 thousand people and left widows without a way to support themselves and their families. 

Many of the young children who survived the Genocide carried the emotional trauma of losing their parents. They grew up as an orphan or under the care of an extended family member and they were not able to attend school or receive proper nutrition. Today, many of those children are now grown women who want to provide for their families but have few options to do so.

In Rwanda, and many areas of Africa, jobs are not easy to come by.

  • Education opportunities are limited and costly.

  • Most people travel for miles by walking.

  • Sickness is a daily reality and healthcare is limited.

  • Unless you live in a city, office jobs are rare and require a college education.

In most cases, starting a business is the best option to feed their children and contribute to the household needs.

Poverty is a significant factor in which women are not able to obtain a loan through a financial institution to start or grow an existing business.  Additionally, women in extreme poverty stricken villages like Ruhango have limited to no access to banks, mobile phones to conduct business, and other economic activities.

How We Impact Women’s Lives

Microloans and savings bonuses empower woman to start or to grow their own businesses, learn business skills and develop savings goals.

Women’s cooperatives create long-term savings opportunities and impact entire families socially, economically and spiritually. Cooperatives empower women and foster economic development by changing their socio-economic status.

AWHI is acting on God's calling upon us to assist these women. AWHI provides a sustainable solution to help families in Rwanda and East Africa. As part of the solution, women find purpose by learning business skills, by discovering their self worth, by growing a small business and by lifting their families out of poverty. 

As a result, families can afford to send their children to school and to feed their children nutritious meals. Helping 30 women in a cooperative, helps 30 families which helps entire communities. 

AWHI, in partnership with Africa Hope Initiatives (Kigali, Rwanda), provides interest free loans to start a business and/or grow an existing business through a savings bonus. AWHI is giving a hand up - not a handout. It allows women and their families to survive and prosper. 

How AWHI Helps