Fravia: From Darkness to Light
Fravia participated in Komera’s Parent and Guardian Cooperative trainings, which included the topics of parental responsibilities and learning how to save.
The small Komera parents’ saving group she participated in started with only seven parents. They managed to save 5,000 Rwandan Francs (RWF) per month and were able to loan 35,000 RWF to one person per month under a rotational manner.
Subsequently, they joined forces with their neighbors in their village who liked their saving group and had them join. Today, they are 15 strong in the group and they now save 10,000 RWF each month and can loan 50,000 RWF per rotation.
Fravia used the loan she obtained to become involved in animal husbandry by buying a goat. She started with one goat and also used some money to cultivate crops on a large scale. She would bring workers into her gardens and sometimes she would harvest large quantities. She would sell the crops and buy roofing materials and lay bricks so that today she owns her big house. Recently, she sold four sacks of sorghum and used the proceeds to buy a cow. She told us her story…
Fravia’s Story:
I am Fravia. I live in the village of Mwiri Sector in the Kayoza district.
Today, as I narrate the story of my life, I am a totally different woman that the one who lived through it.
Before my involvement with Komera, I was a miserable, sickly woman. My misery stemmed from the vicious cycle of poverty I faced and the burden of raising six children alone. Procuring daily meals for the family and funds for school fees was a huge challenge which meant I spent most of my time working in other people’s fields. I would feel tired and exhausted daily. This increased the levels of anger and bitterness inside me so much so that I ended up heaping it onto my children. My children became victims of my anger, which resulted in some of them running away to other towns to work as maids. When my daughter, Marie Chantal, ran away from me, the memories of her stuck fresh in my mind that I spent most of my nights sleepless and my waking hours daydreaming of her. My temper and anger rose as I contemplated that I had always lived a life full of regret. Subsequently, another daughter dropped out of school claiming that she could not foresee a path forward when it came to her education. I was so overwhelmed that, at the time, I did not mind this decision very much.
My two other younger daughters, Beltha and Donatile, remained patient and focused in school. I remember how they went to school - without books, without school uniforms, without shoes - and how they were always chased out of classes due to non-payment of school fees.
Today, the situation is not the same. I live a bright changed life because I encountered Komera!
The first day I was introduced to Komera was the day I was looking for a scholarship for Beltha soon after she had passed her Senior Three national exams. It was a long journey of prayer mixed with stress, attempts and failures. Throughout the journey, the thought that stayed fresh in my mind was that, “Beltha deserves a Komera scholarship!” She indeed received one! What a wonderful day this was in my life and also that of Beltha’s!
Since 2017, after joining the Komera family, my family life has changed! I am now happy. I laugh, I sleep and I have hope spread throughout my life. Komera does not provide trainings only to the scholars, but also to their parents. The organization taught me how to become self-confident and how to work hard and save. I learned how to heal my emotions and not to push my problems onto my children. Instead, I learned how to love and become a more responsible mother.
My testimony today is visible and tangible. Due to my increased self-confidence, I am a leader of our Komera Savings Group. I used the leadership skills acquired throughout the provided trainings to claim my land back, which had been previously taken. Today I love and visit my children at school. The best of the best is that I built a new house! I was able to install electricity in the house, I lead my animal husbandry efforts, and my family is more financially secure!
I also took time to move to Kigali and I found my lost daughter, Marie Chantal, who was in terrible conditions as she had given birth. I brought her to my home and I am ready to love and mentor her. Self-confidence is interwoven and crisscrosses amongst my family! Long live Komera that found me in darkness and brought me into the light!
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