Mama Irene’s Story: From Struggle to Hope

Delphine Umuhoza
Jun 11
2 min read

Mama Irene joined Grace Girls Coalition (GGC) as our Camp Cleaner during our Girls Camp in Rukomo, Nyagatare District. Although the camp lasted only two weeks, her impact stayed with us far beyond that. 🌻

She was kind, hardworking, and brought so much warmth to our team. Throughout the camp, GGC staff enjoyed having her around and listening to her life stories.

As the camp came to an end, Mama Irene became emotional because her work was ending too. She is a mother of three and was struggling to provide for her children. Meeting basic needs, including school fees and school materials, was a daily challenge.

Before closing the camp, the GGC Founder asked her a simple question:

“What kind of support could transform your life?”

Mama Irene answered with hope. She said that with a small amount of capital, she could start a business. She was encouraged to prepare and submit a business plan.

The next day, she returned with a plan to buy a cassava leaves shredding machine ( Isombe). She believed this business could change her future as Isombe is most consumed food in her village.

GGC provided her with small startup capital to purchase the machine.

Eight months later, we visited her workplace to see how she was doing.

In her own words:

“My life has changed. With this business, I can earn up to 10,000 RWF a day. I am able to feed my children, and they no longer lack school fees or school materials. I can buy them what they need. I joined a cooperative where I contribute 13,000 RWF every week, and I am planning to expand my business. I am very grateful for this support. Thank you so much to GGC for all the great things you are doing to transform women’s lives. May God bless you.”