Aspire – Women working together to rebuild their lives

Half a million women and girls were raped in the genocide, many of whom became pregnant and infected with HIV. Vulnerable and living in dire poverty, they need education and training. Aspire supports 50 such women a year equipping them with the skills, knowledge, confidence and support network to become self-sufficient and empowered.

Rwanda was a poor and under-developed country even before the 1994 genocide that left an estimated one million people dead.  The legacy of the genocide still has an enormous impact on the population as they rebuild their country.  Of those who survived, 97% witnessed the violence, and trauma has hampered productivity at work and school.

Half a million women and girls were raped, and many became pregnant or were infected with HIV.   More than a third of all households are now headed by women, 80% of whom are widows living in dire poverty because they lack education or skills.

Aspire is a Rwandan not-for-profit organisation that has so far helped 350 vulnerable but resilient women rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the genocide.  Its dynamic founder, Peace Ruzage, started Aspire to help the women in her community who could not find work, and were struggling to offer their children a better future.  Many were widows or single mothers, illiterate and unskilled, HIV positive, and victims of domestic violence. All had witnessed unimaginable violence in the genocide.

Now, Aspire trains 50 women a year in literacy, English, nutrition and cooking, business skills, their rights and responsibilities and advocacy.  It equips them with the knowledge, skills, confidence and the support network to become self-sufficient and empowered.  Women are taught vocational skills and on graduation they join income generating co-operatives, producing and selling necklaces, greetings cards, vegetables, eggs, goats and chickens.  Recent Aspire graduates also play a role in training the new intake, offering a ready support network.  Aspire’s graduates can read and write, and they have marketable skills, enabling them to educate and feed their children, breaking the cycle of poverty.

By working together, the women of Aspire make their own choices and take control of their future. Aspire's mission is founded on the belief that the promotion of human dignity and women’s rights will lead to positive sustainable community development and strong and lasting grassroots reconciliation.

Sponsor one of the women from Aspire.