On a good morning of June 2023, Amahorabe Marie Louise, a mother of four was attending to her clients from her canteen in Ndera Sector, Gasabo district when two men introduced themselves, not as potential consumers, but as partners.
She paused a bit and listened attentively and understood that her guests hailed from Empower Rwanda, an organization whose aim to empower women by providing training in clean cooking technologies and financial services/inclusion.
Amahorabe became more interested because she was using firewood to prepare food for her clients, which was, not only time consuming but also a threat for her life and the environment.
However, at this level she was yet to understand how this would benefit her business.
The presentation continued and Amahorabe learnt that, with the environmental friendly clean cooking, she would gain double portion.
First of all, the idea was that she would contribute to the reduction of deforestation which means the safeguard of environment, and secondly, that she would put quite little time in the kitchen. Being convenient and user friendly, the clean cooking would also bring on board her husband and children and this unpaid work would not be her only burden anymore.
“I said let give me a try, and it worked,” recalls Amahorabe with a smile.
“On top of clean cooking, we were also introduced to financial litteracy, including saving which is fitting for people with a humble beginning with clear development ambitions,” Amahorabe said.
In that first encounter, her guests also shared their plan on supporting victims of gender based violence, and they called it a day.
“I used to cook with firewood and sometimes, charcoal. This was unfortunate for someone with a business that involves milk and other kind of food. Ever since I was in touch with Empower Rwanda, I shifted to LPG cooking energy which actually helped to save money,” she said.
Speaking of what she gained, Amahorabe said, that her husband has now joined her in the kitchen and, he can now cook, unlike in the past.
“Since clean cooking is not demanding, I decided to save the money I used to spend on the worker who was in charge of cooking. Clean cooking, not only is quick, but also allows multitasking,” she further said.
She believes that this move enabled the family togetherness unlike the past when she was the only person in charge of struggling in the kitchen, which she said, was stressful.
In this perspective, she was also able to follow the second phase of the project which focused on entrepreneurship, thus allowing her to change her business mindset.
“My dream is to grow my business to a supermarket in the nesxt three years,” said Amahorabe during a meeting that evaluated the impact of the first phase of the project, as they move to the third phase of business mentorship on November 29.
“Our goal is to create financial solutions that not only make clean cooking technologies affordable but also promote broader financial inclusion,” said Dr. Olivia Kabatesi, Founder and Country Director of Empower Rwanda. “We aim to bridge the gap between demand and affordability for these life-changing technologies.”
Dr. Olivia Kabatesi
According to Kabatesi, this initiative which started in 2019, consists of three phases, including identification and organization of beneficiaries for awareness, followed by entrepreneurship. The latter comprises an introduction to access to finance literacy where they learn saving, loan management, sustainable investment, among others.
The upcoming third phase consists of business mentorship where promising entrepreneurs will be accompanied in their businesses.
To succeed be it in the clean cooking and in the business support, Empower Rwanda signed a contract with banks that have products which empower women entrepreneurs. They gave the banks the capitals that will serve as guarantee, for the women to borrow without their own collateral.
For clean cooking companies, mainly those selling LPG, they also signed a contract that will allow them to give them cooking gas on discount.
“This is a women’s empowerment initiative. We have involved banks to be able to find mentors who have great understanding in financial literacy, much as they are the ones who will also give loans,” said Kabatesi.
In the whole process, Empower Rwanda which has the objective of ending gender based violence believes that by empowering women, they will assure financial security, which will bring peace home.
The 2000 women beneficiaries of this project hail from Gasabo and Rwamagana. The project is supported by Jersey Overseas Aid through Mercy Corps and Energy 4 Impact.
Among Women who can tell the success story since their encounter with Empower Rwanda could be Angel Gahinda Nikibikiratorwa. After two years in street vending, she benefited from the support of city of Kigali which placed her in Giporoso market and gave her a capital.
Empower Rwanda found her at this place and empowered her more.
She worked hard in fruit vending before graduating to cosmetics. She now owns a taxi cab and says: “ the sky is a limit.”
