Global Civic Sharing beneficials
Veneranda Mukagatare, resident of Nyarubaka Sector in Kamonyi district in Southern Rwanda, has been living in extreme poverty that pushed her out of public view.
She remained in misery until Global Civic Sharing – a South Korean organization, empowered her with credit and saving skills since the last three years. She currently owns a cow.
The cow gave calves which allowed her to get 10 liters of milk every day, thus earning her at least Rwf3000 daily (Rwf90,000 a month) from milk sale.
“Before getting training from this organization, I did not know how to make sense of money, but there has been a mind shift ever since,” Mukagatare said.
“With little savings i have made, i can now be able to re-innovate my house.”
GCS in collaboration with Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) works with 40 groups of 35 beneficiaries in Nyarubaka sector, Kamonyi district.
Over the last three years, this organization trained them in savings culture, managing income, modern farming and working with banks to secure loans.
“Through these small savings I have managed to secure Rwf750, 000 loan to install green energy – solar power at my home and I have so far paid back more than a half,” François Nzavugankize, a beneficiary said.
This savings strategy has enabled every beneficiary to own livestock and to cater for family basic needs including paying health insurance-mutuelle de santé.
“Our aim is to enable our beneficiaries to do things by themselves instead of just donating to them,” Richard Shyaka Nayigiziki, GCS Coordinator told KT Press.
“We empower them with skills so that they do not get frustrated once the project closes. We are seeing real transformation in this group.”
GCS Rwand Director, Seunghoon Woo, said his organization is thankful of the impact the project brought to the beneficiaries.
Through this project, beneficiaries form groups in which they make savings out of which they can get loans for a specific project – a system called “Kurasa ku ntego” which literally means “hitting the target”.
Last year, they shared Rwf35 million which they used for developmental activities.
