FROM POVERTY TO SELF-RELIANCE: FLORENCE’S JOURNEY

Following the natural disasters that struck in April 2024 and destroyed her agricultural activities, NYIRAMAHORO Florence, a resident of Gasura Cell, Jomba Sector, faced severe socio-economic hardships. To make ends meet, she resorted to extracting sand from a river and transporting it to the roadside for a small payment, which she used to buy food. However, the little income she earned was insufficient to meet her family's basic needs.

Through a GIZ-supported project, implemented in partnership with Nyabihu District, Florence received financial assistance amounting to RWF 360,500, which she invested in income-generating activities that enabled her to establish a sustainable livelihood and gradually overcome poverty.

She started with small livestock farming, purchasing two pigs, which have since multiplied to 11, and two sheep, whose number has grown to five.

She invested the remaining funds in mobile money services, becoming an agent for telecommunications companies. This enabled her to diversify her sources of income. She now uses the proceeds from these activities to meet her family's basic needs, including daily household expenses and renovating her home.

Florence expresses her gratitude to the local authorities and development partners for the support that provided her with start-up capital and transformed her life. She says she is determined to expand her businesses further to achieve greater economic independence. She also encourages others to take initiative, work hard and engage in productive activities as a pathway to improving their livelihoods.