Some girls and women from Kimironko Sector in Gasabo District, who used to work as tailors on the verandas of commercial buildings, say they faced many challenges working in such conditions. They explain that whenever it rained, they had to quickly cover or move their sewing materials, which disrupted their work and affected their productivity.
Speaking to Pure Africa News, they mentioned that apart from the difficulties during the rainy season, the sun was also a major issue, especially during hot afternoons.
Ineza Divine said:
“When we were still working on the verandas, it was very hard for us. There were times when it rained, and we had to rush to remove our sewing machines and look for a place to shelter them.”
She added:
“During sunny days, the heat was unbearable, especially around noon. It got so bad that sometimes we just wanted to go home without doing any work.”
Her colleague, Yom Deng Akech, originally from South Sudan, also shared:
“Working on verandas was very difficult because of the weather. When it rained, we had to pack up our equipment, and that also made it hard for customers to find us.”
Today, they say that after coming together and forming a cooperative, they were able to leave the streets and move into their own workspace, which has greatly improved their working conditions.
Uwimana Alice, the head of the TURIMBE Cooperative, explained that it all began when women who were working on building verandas decided to unite and form a cooperative.
She said:
“We started out as women working on verandas, but then we decided to come together and form a cooperative, inspired by the President of the Republic who always encouraged us to form cooperatives to improve our livelihoods.”
She continued:
“We pooled our resources, bought sewing machines together, and officially registered as a cooperative with support from the national cooperative agency. After receiving our legal documents, we started working together, gradually grew, and even managed to buy our own workspace.”
Alice added that it was not an easy journey:
“Starting from zero, when you look at how far we’ve come, it’s almost unbelievable.”
Aline Umutoni, Director General for Family Promotion and Child Protection at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), emphasized the importance of women’s role in both family and national development. She praised Rwandan women for their evolving mindset and progress.
She said:
“A woman’s contribution to the family is just as important as a man’s. Each brings their own strength to build the family together. Women should not just be passive recipients but rather active partners in driving family development.”
Aline Umutoni, Director General for Family Promotion and Child Protection at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF),
The TURIMBE Cooperative, which is mainly composed of women and girls who once worked on commercial building verandas in Kimironko, now has 11 members,9 women and 2 men.
These cooperative members, some of whom are single mothers, thank the government for encouraging them to organize into cooperative. They say this support helped them combine their efforts and reach a better place in life. They encourage others to embrace the spirit of working together.
Now they have their own workplace /Turimbe Cooperative
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