Continued Improvements in Bwiru and Lives Rebuilt for Our Goma Women

Our journey continued today to a village that cannot be found on a map. It is near Gisenyi, which is a fairly large city, but entering the village of Bwiru, it seems very remote.

AWHI started the ministry here 2 years ago when we gave out 70 microloans. These women were just starting their businesses, had little or no capital and really needed a helping hand. We revisited Bwiru last year to check their progress and saw a marked difference. This year, the change in the women and their community was astounding! As we drove in, we found lots of activity, small businesses everywhere, people crowding the road, buying and selling, moving products around on bicycles or by hand (or head).

The demeanor of the women has also improved. They are successful business women now. Their self-worth shows on their faces!

We heard a few testimonies at the beginning of our meeting. Umuhoza, who received a microloan 2 years ago, was able to put cement floors in her home where it once was dirt. She is able to pay the school fees for her 6 children, feed them, clothe them and still save $7 a week. This is a huge success in a village where the income is only a few dollars a week. She was so proud to show us her home!

Today we gave 20 microloans to new women in the group.

We had a glitch in our program when we realized the story book we planned to share with the children was not with us. No worries! Stephen found the story of Jonah via Google and read it to the kids. They enjoyed a coloring activity and a snack.

Liz shared a devotion and Heidi gave the women a prayer card invoking the Armor of God, which is Jesus.

We attended a women’s cooperative market outside the church and bought 3 live chickens, potatoes, avacados, bananas, cooking oil and donuts, to name a few. Most items we left in the village for their use.

We had a lovely lunch prepared by some of our ladies which was shared with the cooperative group.

It’s been such a blessing to our team to see such a wonderful change in this community, thanks to our donors who have supplied the funds for the microloans.

Until now the classroom floors consisted of uneven sharp lava rocks. God has been so good! Money was donated and now the floors are smooth and clean!

The women are supporting the church and have made nice improvements, including a new tile floor and a new ceiling, paint and acoustic panels for the walls.

In the evening we revisited the group of women who escaped the war in the DRC(Congo) last year. We are very near the border here and they have relocated from Goma to Gisenyi temporarily until it is safe to return to their homes. They formed a cooperative group last year and received microloans last January. They are so very grateful that they were able to do business here in Rwanda with the boost they received from the microloans.

Diamont rents space to do women’s nails. Julienne and Jolie have a small shop together where they sell small items like rice, cornflour, cooking oil and sugar.

God has been so good to all of these women who have worked so hard.

Every day is a new blessing. We are all tired but so happy to be here.

-Liz (Mbabazi)