Justin Nyandwi, a resident of Ngeruka sector of Bugesera District had never realized that little resources can lead a one living in poverty to build self-reliance and into entrepreneurship until volunteers were deployed to support and change the mindset in rural communities with needy households.

Last year, following guidance from the Ministry of Local Government, 30 volunteers were deployed into rural areas - that still have people who live under the poverty line and whose children face issues of malnutrition among the many issues.

The needy communities are located in eight districts of Bugesera, Rulindo, Gicumbi, Huye, Gisagara, Musanze, Rutsiro and Ngororero.

Nyandwi, is one of the residents who were under the poverty line, whose mindset has changed and embarked on an entrepreneurial journey thanks to the volunteers’ approach to change vulnerable communities’ lives.

The change happened at a time when the community was suffering from Covid-19 impact, adding that the income is helping the family to cope with Covid-19 pandemic effects.

"I realised that self-reliance is the way to go. Our children were suffering from malnutrition. After gaining skills on constructing Kitchen gardens, I now have three kitchen gardens and the children are no longer malnourished,” he said.

From one pig farming, rural destitute residents managed to create more businesses such as small shops. Photo: Courtesy.

He said that the support of one pig has drastically changed his family’s life, opening the gate for entrepreneurial journey.

"The pig produced seven piglets.  One piglet died and I sold the rest at Rwf15, 000 minimum each piglet. Still amidst the Covid-19 pandemic times, I spent the income as well as little savings to open a shop. It required at least Rwf150, 000 to open the small shop with few basic needs such as soaps, cooking oil, food and other stuffs that the community needs every day. The sales keep increasing,” he said.

Nyandwi said that the pig is about to deliver again, adding that he is planning to expand the business.

Saving culture

In order to ensure saving culture, the community members were also grouped in Savings and Loan Groups each composed of between 70 and 100 people.

"This helps us to afford other basic needs such as Community Based Health Insurance-Mutuelle de Sante as we embrace saving culture. Through the groups, a member can also request a loan to be paid back,” he said.

Donatha Mukandanga testifies that the volunteers have changed her perspective on what she called poverty.

 "I thought I was poor and yet I wasn’t. It was just an issue of poor mindset. After interacting with the volunteers, I now think outside the box and use my resources to better my life and that of my family,” she said.

Pig farming is transforming rural communities.

Mukandanga now owns a pig that provides manure to fertilize her kitchen garden to beat malnutrition.

"My produce has quadrupled, and this allows me to feed my children with balanced meals and also sell some of my vegetables on the market. From the sales from piglets, I opened a small boutique. I used to wait for benefactors to feed, but now I am capable of doing so by myself,” she added.

The testimonies identified 3,240 needy people in rural areas of whom 2,500 have managed to start from few resources and savings to create their own small businesses with guidance from volunteers under the support of CorpsAfrica Rwanda, operating in four countries namely Rwanda, Malawi, Senegal and Morocco.

So far 80 percent of beneficiaries have created small businesses in 30 saving groups and have accumulated Rwf12 million savings so far.

How the volunteerism works in the community

Before being deployed, volunteers underwent a four intensive weeks training aimed at equipping them with skills and knowledge needed in their volunteering journey to ensure that trainees are well fit with necessary skills needed to uplift and make changes in their working villages.

Facilitated by CorpsAfrica Rwanda, the volunteers gain community trust and understanding by engaging people in conversations, facilitating community meetings and empowering the people to identify their own needs and discuss and implement solutions to their problems.

As soon as they arrive at their villages, volunteers are placed into host families for two weeks. This allows them to get an opportunity to live in the community members’ shoes.

They start the integration process and attend all activities taking place in their villages.

Volunteers who were deployed in rural areas helped to fight poverty in poor families.

Volunteers mobilize the community to start savings schemes.

"We target people under the poverty line where you see that children have dropped out of school while others are facing malnutrition. We have to spend time with them in their families and we educate them how they can start from the few resources they have to better their lives.

They choose their own small income generating business projects and we only facilitate them on plan,” said Sandrine Tuyisenge, a volunteer deployed in the Mukura sector of Huye district.

She was deployed in a village of 353 households.

"We guide and facilitate them on how to graduate out of poverty for sustainable development starting from little resources they have which means they must contribute a certain percentage to the projects,” she explained.

Recently more volunteers were trained and deployed into communities across the country.

The Minister of Local Government, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi advised them to live a purposeful life with a strong determination and to always be accountable to themselves and to the people as well as the country.

 "Now that you choose to serve, you should make sure to kindly listen to people and be changed first and then change them to better their lives. You should have determination and live a purposeful life and be a leader in your community because the country needs you,” he said.

CorpsAfrica country director, Eustochie Sezibera urged the volunteers to be catalysts of change in their communities.

She said they have to listen to those they will serve and to always be part of the communities’ lives throughout their services.