Like many girls around the world, Rwanda too, growing up, Patience Iribagiza was nervous when it came to openly talking about the rapid changes of her body, and she hardly ever talked about issues girls’ face due to societal norms. 

People would ask her when she planned to get married, even though she was still in ordinary level of high school. Some told her she couldn’t play basketball like a boy, implying that her goals were to get married and that was it.

In 2017 after graduation, she signed up for the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant to find a platform to speak for adolescent girls and teen mothers who were facing stigma and discrimination, especially in rural communities.

Patience Iribagiza, co-founder of Afro Ark. 

After the pageant, which unfortunately she didn’t win, she didn’t give up on her idea and in 2018, she co-founded Afro Ark, a women-led organisation that aims to probe into issues around health, governance, economic empowerment and human rights for adolescent girls and women, and children in Rwanda.

Iribagiza, currently the executive director of the organisation, says that the name "Afro” is an artistic slogan of Africa and ‘Ark’ is a name that was inspired by Noah’s Ark which, according to the Bible, was used to save animals from the Great Flood.

"Afro Ark strives to create a safe and healthy society. We nurture capacities of adolescent girls, vulnerable women and advocate for their rights. We work with healthcare providers, local authorities, civil society organisations and development partners,” she says.

"Moreover, we strive to see women and girls partake in the same domains as men, and a generation free of malnutrition, poverty and preventable diseases.”

In 2019, Afro Ark launched Urubohero Relief Program, a life skills and rights based platform where 120 teenage mothers and vulnerable women were equipped with knitting and tailoring skills to cater for their needs.

Assouma, one of the beneficiaries of Urubohero Relief Program, says, "Afro Ark has taught me how to knit and make different decorations for women. When I joined, I was paying rent of Rwf 5,000, but now I can afford to pay Rwf 20,000 through these activities. My children are also studying. I quit sex work and I am better now,” she says.

"I advise women and girls in sex work to quit too because it is neither good nor beneficial. I didn’t get anything good in that. Those people that push you into prostitution do not wish you well. They just kill your future and put you at risk of diseases like AIDS or Syphilis,” Assouma says. "Afro Ark,” she continues, "also introduced us to family planning.”

Iribagiza says that they started with Nyagatare District because it is one of the districts in Rwanda with the highest number of teen mothers, adding that the organisation equips them with knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, nutrition, women’s self-care as well as participation in community leadership.

Mukeshimana, another beneficiary, says when she joined the organisation, her and number of other women were shy and naïve. 

"They taught us how to make hats, which we could sell and get money to buy milk for our children. Every day, life changes because we no longer sit at home due to unemployment. We all come to work and make some money,” she says.

"We also build their capacity around sexual and reproductive health rights and services that will enable them to have the right information on how their body changes, their rights as adolescents concerning sexuality and where to access the services needed. As we converse, they also tell us their challenges and get counselling services from us,” Iribagiza says.

"So far, we have tested HIV/AIDS over 400 teenage mothers, including other vulnerable women, and we follow up on those who tested positive to continue with treatment,” she says. 

Regarding challenges, Iribagiza says that there is still need for more resources so that they can reach out to as many vulnerable populations as possible; mostly in rural areas.

She adds that Afro Ark is planning to scale up its activities in more districts so that they can empower vulnerable women at the community level economically and uplift their social status.

"We are now a team of 10. We intend to improve the lives of more vulnerable women and their children to become beneficial citizens that contribute to national development,” she says.

For more information about Afro Ark, you can contact them via info@afroark.org or ipatience@afroark.org