1/22/2010

Constance and Dushyigikirane

Constance’s husband and two young children were killed during the war. Gathering seventeen widows like herself and scores of orphans who had lost their parents, Constance began rebuilding her community in Masoro village, about twelve miles outside of the capital city Kigali. Each woman brought eight cents to give to one of the women so that she could buy food or school supplies for her children. The gathering became a weekly ritual, and today this widows’ association has 600 active members. Thus Association Dushyigikrane was created.


Some of their activities include: dairy farming, fishing, honey harvesting, flour milling, baking, embroidering, sewing, soap making, basket weaving (shown above), vegetable farming, and operation of two orphanages, a micro-credit bank and a library. They are working hard to improve not only the lives of their own families but of the whole community of Masoro.


bakery operated by Dushyigikirane co-op

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