American actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie has praised the resilience of women survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi following a visit to a farming cooperative in Gikomero Sector, Gasabo District, describing the experience as deeply inspiring. In a post shared on her Instagram account on Wednesday, July 16, the Hollywood star reflected on her visit to the Imboni Cooperative, where women survivors have transformed their lives from subsistence farming to landownership through support from the Legacy of War Foundation. ALSO READ: Hollywood star Angelina Jolie visits Rwanda I recently visited the Imboni Cooperative — a farm in Gikomero, Rwanda, run collectively by the women who work the land — and left deeply inspired by everyone I met there, Jolie wrote. The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi claimed more than one million lives in 100 days, leaving survivors with the enormous task of rebuilding their lives and communities. During her visit, Jolie learned how the women had spent years cultivating rented swampland to feed their families, earning less than one dollar a day while struggling with repeated crop losses caused by heavy rainfall. View this post on Instagram The Oscar-winning actress credited the cooperative's progress to the work of British photojournalist Giles Duley and the Legacy of War Foundation, which has partnered with the women over the past five years. The foundation acquires fertile farmland and transfers ownership to survivors of conflict while providing training and support to help them become successful, climate-smart farmers. According to Jolie, the initiative has enabled the women to transition from labourers to landowners, increasing their incomes fivefold and helping more than 90 of their children return to school. It was a deeply meaningful visit, and we're grateful for the time they spent with us, she said. Jolie added that the visit reinforced her belief that sustainable development is most effective when driven by local communities. It was a strong reminder that local leadership is always the best way forward, she wrote. A longtime humanitarian, Jolie has spent decades advocating for refugees and communities affected by conflict around the world. She has visited Rwanda on several occasions in support of humanitarian and development initiatives.
