" After completing my university studies in Law, i looked for a job but in vain. When i heard about the saving groups, i decided to join one and became a member and president of BENURUGO Saving group. We took a loan in October 2014 and started making Masai shoes. we produced 90 pairs and after selling 60 of them we had already paid back the loan".

Verdiane Mukagakwandi, lives in Bugesera district, Nyarugenge sector, Rugando cell. She is 44 years old and she has completed her university studies in Law. At the time we interviewed her she declared : “After my university studies, I looked for a job but in vain. When I heard about the saving groups, I decided to join and become a member and president of BENURUGO saving group. We have started doing our weekly savings, and then we started to take loans. From October 2014, we took a loan of 200, 000 rwf and started an income generating activity of making shoes. We started making Masai shoes and by now we have produced 90 pairs of which 60 pairs have been sold at 4,000 rwf each (equivalent to 240,000 rwf). In stock we have 30 pairs (equivalent to 120, 000 rwf) and we are still making others. This has made us a profit because we spend 1, 800 rwf to make one pair and sell it at 4,000-5,000 rwf”.

Verdiane is one of the beneficiairies fromPlan international’s Building skills for life program (BS4L) that began in 2011, targeting several countries, including Rwanda. During the Program Partnership Agreement 2 (PPA2) extension phase, the goal was for adolescent girls to enroll and complete lower secondary education. Since 2013, PAJER worked as an implementing partner in achieving the outcome of reducing financial barriers to adolescent girls’ access to education.

Working in 41 schools in the districts of Bugesera and Gatsibo, GHDF was responsible of mobilizing the community and establishing VSLAs. After meeting with local leaders, teachers and parents/guards of adolescent schoolgirls, encouraging more positive attitudes towards girls’ education, 207 savings groups were formed to develop financial skills and income generating activities for the parents. These groups participate in women empowerment and efforts to overcome the financial barrier to keeping girls in school. 3120 members (70% of them are women) have been engaged in the VSLAs and participate in various initiatives to improve their livelihoods.

Apart from education and economic security, BS4L focuses on raising awareness about sexual and reproductive health and rights, and protection from violence against girls.


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