" I have become a role model to my neighbors who ended up joining other VSLAs on our Village"

THEOGENE BYUKUSENGE is a30 yearsold young man with a wife and two children. He lives in Rwankuba cell of Murambi Sector in Gatsibo District. He joined INKOMEZAMIHIGO VSL Group in 2011 and managed to get a loan of 30,000 frw from the group. Theogene invested in a business of selling cassava and avocado. He was earning 5,000 rwf per week thus 20,000 rwf per month. This helped him to satisfy his family needs and provide them health insurance. Thanks to his business, Theogene managed to buy a bicycle worth 50,000rwf in 2012, after share-out activity of the second cycle where he gained 44,400 rwf. In the third cycle, in 2013 he managed to buy ten iron sheets in order to renovate his family’s house.
In the fourth cycle he managed to buy mattress worth 20,000 frw and a cow valued 130,000 rwf. This cow produced a bull in October 2013, where currently valued at 45,000Rwf. The cow is now valued at 200,000rwf.

After telling us his story, he proudly told us : ″I have become a role model to my neighbors who ended up by joining other VSLAs in our village″.

By now, Theogeneis a self reliant man in his village, full of hope of a good future for his family.

Theogene is one of the beneficiaries from the Youth Micro Finance project funded by Norway National Organization (NNO) and implemented by GHDF and Plan Rwanda. A total of 125 VSLAs were formed in Gatsibo district, and one VSLA composed of deaf youth was established in Muhanga. A total of 3,775 members(80 % of them are women) aged between 15-35 years benefited from the various trainings and are now actively involved in the saving groups.

This project succeeded in improving the financial literacy and skills of the members, and facilitating their access and sustainable linkage to financial services and institutions. Throughout the project, the VSLA members were also educated on reproductive health and HIV awareness.

A business competition was also organized and the 10 VSLAs with the best business plans proposals were rewarded.


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