Amahoro: ordinary people changing their worlds

There have been few genuinely humbling experiences in my life.

I’m not talking about times when you get taken down a peg or reminded that maybe you are not perfect. What I am talking about is times when you are humbled not because someone corrected you but because someone else has done something so impressive that you saying ‘well done’ feels not just inadequate but like a glib platitude.

I felt like that again as I stood in the home of Beatrice, a woman who’s life has been completely turned around in a few months.

Earlier in 2014 Beatrice’s husband died. She was left alone with four children to look after and was living in a tiny shelter that was barely tall enough to sit in.

Fast-forward a to October 2014 and she is living in a 4 room house, owns a cow, a goat and is able to pay for her children’s education. But what led to this incredible transformation?

Well, it wasn’t money she was given by an aid worker; nor was it money from the Rwandan government. It was support from a local women’s group.

During our time in Huye we are working with African Evangelical Enterprise (AEE). They have been working in Rwanda for many years on many development projects and one of them features Self Help Groups. These Self Help Groups are groups for local women that AEE helped to set up. When we met them the Self Help Group, named ‘Amahoro’ (or ‘Peace’) they were open about the their initial reaction to the idea. They told us that they were living in very basic conditions and they originally thought they were going to be given money; when it transpired that this was not the case they were not particularly impressed! Instead of AEE giving them money they spent several weeks offering training on subjects such as managing money, savings and investments.

With the help of AEE they started to regularly saving money together. In just one year they were able to save 400,000 Rwandan Francs (£400). They then loaned this money to each other to invest in their businesses. This has led to many improvements for the whole group. They have been able to learn how to read and write, pay for materials for their children’s education, shoes for their children and buy mattresses to sleep on. Thanks to their success some of the women have electricity (a rarity in rural Rwanda) can secure large loans from banks to further grow their businesses and have been able to massively improve their standard of living and the prospects of their children.

Beatrice joined Amahoro just after her husband died. Amahoro helped Beatrice to build a new house, helped paint that house and lent her money so that she could buy a cow. Cows can change lives in Rwanda because they produce both milk and fertiliser to sell. Because of the cow she can afford to help pay for school materials for her children, helping them have a brighter future. Granted, things are not perfect. Beatrice does not have electricity and her cow hast to sleep in her house at night for fear of robbery, but things are so much better. Beatrice herself says that ‘Amahoro taught me to save money; saving money is why I have achieved so much.’

Everything the Beatrice now has she has because of support from Amahoro Self Help Group.

Everything Beatrice has she has because a group of women came together and was given training by AEE.

Everything Beatrice has she has because the women then used that training to work themselves out of poverty. They weren’t able to buy mattresses and improve their living conditions because they were given money but because they worked hard and saved and invested. They improved their lives and the lives of their children through their own hard work and support for one another.

And they didn’t stop there. Once they had improved their own lives they used their money to help and support women like Beatrice and help her to turn her life around. Ordinary people came together and changed their lives, the lives of their families and the lives of their communities.

I have always believed that when people come together the world can change for the better. When our 4x4 pulled up outside the church in rural Rwanda I didn’t realise was that I was about to see just what people can completely transform their lives when they are given encouragement, support and training.

As I said at the beginning, saying ‘well done’ when people have achieved so much doesn’t feel sufficient, but it’s all I can think to say.

So, Amahoro Self Help Group, in the most inspired, encouraging and humble way possible: well done.

John, on behalf of the team.