Promotion of Initiatives for Self-Employment
Embrace Rwanda looks to promote long-term development, not a “quick fix”. In the process of promoting self-reliance, funds are given to the groups to help with the start-up funds needed to promote initiatives for self-employment.
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These groups are organized within the associations of the HMP, for the purpose of generating income through small projects and small business collectives. Each small business gives back to the collective, building independence and sustainability.
At each weekly meeting the mums contribute a small amount of money to the fund that can then be used to give loans to the members to start a small business or to add to the collective activities of the association. Joint activities may include paying a teacher to teach them to make baskets or other handicrafts. Some groups have started to grow mushrooms for sale or rented fields for cultivation of potatoes and beans. Individual loans are mostly used for buying and selling produce. Some grow sorghum to produce juice for sale.
Once a month when they have a parents day at the preschool. The husband comes with his wife to the association meeting and he is required to give the same amount to the association as the wife has given throughout the month. This encourages the involvement of the whole family.
