Sarah's transformation from Despair to Hope
By Aime Nshizirungu, Donor Liaison Specialist
At just 23 years old, Sarah has already faced more hardship than many experiences in a lifetime. Living in Nyabiheke, a refugee camp, she shares a small home with her parents, two brothers, and her 5-year-old son. Though having her family around is a blessing, for Sarah, it has been a long, difficult road.
Her father was unable to provide for the family due to extreme poverty, while her mother struggled with a disability that left her unable to walk. One of her brothers has speaking and hearing impairments, and her youngest brother also has a disability. As a result, Sarah found herself as the sole provider for her family from a young age. Forced to drop out of school, her situation worsened when she became pregnant as a teenager, giving birth to her son and facing the realities of single motherhood in the camp.
Reflecting on her past, Sarah said, "I used to see my dad wandering around the camp, drinking alcohol and spending hours playing igisoro, and that often made me cry." (Igisoro is a traditional Rwandan board game.)
Her mother struggled as well. "My mom would give our M-Visa card to shop vendors. They would give her food and then confiscate the card until we could pay at the end of the month when we received cash assistance from UNHCR," Sarah recounted.
But then, something shifted. Sarah's mother regained control of their M-Visa card, which meant they could now manage their own purchases without losing their card. "For a long time, I never saw Mom with our M-Visa card, but now she has it with her, so we can buy what we need without it being confiscated," she said.
The real turning point for Sarah came when the Poverty Alleviation Coalition (PAC) project, supported by World Vision, selected her for livelihood training called Empowered World View. After completing the program, she received a grant of 800,000 Rwandan Francs. Sarah invested half the money in a cow and used the remainder to start a small clothing shop. She was also supported to join Savings for Transformation which empowered her further and helped her grow with others in her community.
"The cows keep our dad busy, so he is no longer wandering around the camp, and that makes me happy to see my dad happy," Sarah shared. "The cow now has a calf and produces 10 liters of milk daily. We all drink milk, and my little boy is healthier."
Through Sarah’s empowerment, hard work, and the support she received, her family's situation has transformed. They now enjoy three meals a day, and their cow has even birthed a calf, with two goats joining their growing assets. Her clothing shop has flourished, now selling high-quality clothes and shoes to others in the camp.
With her newfound success, Sarah dreams of expanding her business and helping other young women in the camp follow in her footsteps.
"I am grateful to World Vision, MINEMA and UNHCR for the empowerment, opportunity availed to me and others in my community, and support. I am working hard to expand my shop and create job opportunities for other young women, serving as their role model," she said.
Through projects like PAC, World Vision is transforming the lives of refugees in camps across Rwanda, offering them hope, and the tools they need to thrive.
The Poverty Alleviation Coalition project is currently serving over 3,000 households in refugee camps and host communities across Rwanda. PAC project partners with the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management(MINEMA) and UNHCR to provide asset transfers and technical training to support participants, both in refugee camps and host communities, to enable them to graduate from poverty.
By Aime Nshizirungu, Donor Liaison Specialist