MADRE's Sister Organization in Rwanda

BENIMPUHWE

BENIMPUHWE ("From the Heart" in Kinyarwanda), is an association of women working to rebuild their lives and their country in the wake of the 1994 genocide in which nearly one million Rwandans were killed. BENIMPUHWE is constructing a new village on the scorched earth of the genocide and has built 180 houses, for mostly women-headed families made homeless by the massacres of 1994.

In Rilima, the village constructed by BENIMPUHWE, families of those killed during the genocide live side by side with families of those who participated in the killings. Through the process of building a new community, the women of BENIMPUHWE are enacting the Rwandan national hope for reconciliation. The community now has over 1500 members.

BENIMPUHWE's programs address both the immediate needs of community members and their long-term concerns. When Rilima was first built, women had to walk hours each day to find water for their families. One of BENIMPUHWE's first projects was to build a potable water system. The new water tanks and taps now serve all the families in the community as well as the school, market, health center and the population on the outskirts of the village. To facilitate distribution of water, community members have formed a Local Committee for Water Management.

BENIMPUHWE has also initiated several income generating programs, including agricultural and sewing training programs for women. Through the agricultural program, BENIMPUHWE distributed hens and goats to families in the community, which, in addition to providing an essential source of food, give families the opportunity to sell milk and eggs for a small income. BENIMPUHWE's sewing trainings offer another income generating opportunity for women, providing technical guidance in sewing, knitting and embroidery. Women sell their products in the city at an annual craft fair. With the income generated by these projects, women are able to pay school fees for their children.

In order to address Rwanda's AIDS crisis, BENIMPUHWE is providing trainings for women and youth on HIV/AIDS. They have recently created a Youth Training Center to ensure the participation of the village's young members in trainings on issues of human rights, health and nutrition and sexual rights, and reproductive rights. The Center offers a safe space for youth-many of whom are genocide survivors and/or orphans of the HIV/AIDS pandemic-to socialize, develop skills and participate in sports and art programs. All of BENIMPUHWE's programs are dedicated to promoting the leadership of women and youth, encouraging women's political participation at the local, national and international level and preserving cultural values.

BENIMPUHWE continues to expand Rilima village so that it can absorb homeless people from the city of Kigali.