Our Impact Success stories
NDIKUMANA Daniel
A member of the Imfura Zubumwe Group, which operates in Kamabuye Sector, Bugesera District, shared with us how saving money has positively changed her life.
She started by saving 500 Rwandan francs per month, and she has now increased her savings to 4,000 Rwandan francs per month. She says that saving has helped her improve her life significantly. Through her savings, she has been able to purchase livestock, including chickens and a goat, and she is very grateful to AJECL for supporting and encouraging her to develop a culture of saving.
Today, she has made significant progress and is even able to pay for her community-based health insurance (Mutuelle de Santé) by herself, something that was not easy for her before.
She believes that, through continued saving and hard work, she will achieve even greater success and reach a better future.
Members of various groups supported by AJECL have shared how saving money and working together as groups have transformed their lives and brought them closer to a brighter and more secure future.
For many members, their journey toward self-reliance began with very small savings. However, over time, those small contributions grew into meaningful opportunities that changed their lives. Through saving, members have been able to improve their livelihoods, invest in income-generating activities, and gain the financial capacity to meet important needs within their families.
The benefits of saving have not been limited to the members themselves; they have also positively impacted their children. Some members shared that before joining the groups, they struggled to afford basic school materials for their children. Today, through their savings and the progress they have made through group activities, they are better able to provide school supplies and support their children’s education.
AJECL has supported 23 groups with financial resources, knowledge, and guidance, enabling members to invest in productive activities, improve their livelihoods, and become more economically empowered and self-reliant.
Beyond financial empowerment, members deeply appreciate being part of the AJECL family, an organization committed to building peace and empowering young people. They are grateful to AJECL for teaching them the importance of living together in harmony, respecting one another, working together, and resolving challenges peacefully.
For many members, AJECL has become more than an organization that supports their economic development—it has become a family that has helped strengthen unity, peace, cooperation, and hope for a better future. They greatly appreciate AJECL for the knowledge, skills, and values it has shared with them, which have helped them build stronger relationships and peaceful communities.
These stories are a powerful reminder that small savings can lead to big changes. What begins as a small contribution can, over time, become the foundation of a stronger family, a more secure future, and a more empowered community.
Through saving, unity, perseverance, and peace, AJECL members are not only improving their own lives; they are also creating opportunities for their children and contributing to a more peaceful and prosperous community.
Together, they are building a future where economic empowerment goes hand in hand with peace, unity, and hope.
Up to 2018, AJECL has certified 255 young people organized in 8 Gwiza Amahoro clubs namely Gwiza Amahoro club Mageragere, Gwiza Amahoro club Nyamirambo, Gwiza Amahoro club Ndera, Gwiza Amahoro Club CSA, Gwiza Amahoro Club LNDC, Gwiza Amahoro Club SBE, Gwiza Amahoro Club KIST, Gwiza Amahoro Club RHIH.
As each certified disciple of peace recruits 2 news candidates each year, next year AJECL plan to certify about 500 new youth. More than 100 children learned peace concepts and developed fundamental moral perspectives that will help them to resist to unhealthy or risky behaviors in their holidays. Cooperatives have grown for better and today AJECL counts an important active number of young people cooperative. Also, small Income generating activity groups are now operating in different districts of the City of Kigali and neighboring areas including Rwamagana, Rulindo, Bugesera districts. Here are some of them that changed youths’ lives:
- Imbere Heza Cooperative located in Kimisagara, Nyarugenge District. They make home/kitchen equipment in metals.
- Abakundana Cooperative: It’s a dressmaking cooperative located at Muhima, Nyarugenge district.
- Kunda Umwuga w’ubudozi cooperative located at Muhima Sector, Nyarugenge District. It’s also a dressmaking cooperative.
- Inshuti Cooperative. It’s a dressmaking cooperative located at Muhima Sector, Nyarugenge Distri
HAFASHIMANA Theophile ni umunyamuryango w’Itsinda ABIZERANYE, rikorera mu karere ka Rulindo, Umurenge wa Tumba, yavuze ko amahugurwa yo kwihangira umurimo yahawe m’umushinga wa SEOC binyuze muri AJECL yamugiriye akamaro.
Yagize ati<< Mbere yo guhugurwa nabaga mu matsinda 3, yose hamwe nizigamagamo amafaranga 400Frw buri cyumweru, nta bundi buryo nagiraga bwo kuzigama nko muri bank cyangwa SACCO, nta ruhare nagiraga mu mibereho yange n’umuryango mbamo, natwaraga abagenzi ku igarare ariko nkoresha igare rishaje. Nyuma yo guhugurwa no guhabwa inkunga nguzanyo ya 150,000Frw, naguze igare rishya iryo nari nsanzwe nkoresha ndarikodesha,nizigama mu matsinda atatu yose hamwe nizigama mo 5,025 Frw kucyumweru, ubu niyishyuriye mituelle ya 2023-2024 mbere narayishyurirwaga n’ababyeyi.>
MUSENGIMANA Fortunee ni umunyamuryango w’itsinda TERIMBERE RUBYIRUKO rikorera mu Karere ka Rulindo, umurenge wa Tumba, yavuze ko inkunga nguzanyo yahawe m’umushinga wa SEOC binyuze muri AJECL yamufashije kwagura ibikorwa bye.
Yagize ati << Mbere y’uko mbabwa inguzanyo, nari mfite igishoro cya 150,000Frw , nkaba aricyo nifashisha mu mushinga wange wo gucuruza amasaka, nizigamaga mu itsinda amafaranga maganatanu 5,00Frw gusa buri cyumweru, nyuma yo kubona inkunga nguzanyo nongeye igishobro kiba 250,000Frw , ubu umushinga wange narawaguye kuko ubu nsigaye nenga nkanacuruza ikigage, ubu nizigama mu itsinda amafaranga 1,000Frw ku cyumweru ,ubu nsigaye ngira n’uruhare mu iterambere ry’umuryango wange kandi nifuza gukomeza kwagura umushinga wange.
NDAYISABA Egide, aba mu itsinda ABIZERANYE riherereye mu karere ka Rulindo Umurenge wa Mbogo nawe ahamya ko amahugurwa y’ibanga ry’ubukire yamugiriye akamaro.
Yagize ati<< Mbere yo guhugurwa nororaga ingurube ,kuzibonera ibiryo bikangora kuko byabaga bihenze, nizigamaga mu itsinda amafaranga ari hagati ya 500Frw na 1,000Frw kucyumweru, nyuma yo guhugurwa no guhabwa inkunga nguzanyo natangiye gucuruza ibiryo by’amatungo bityo no kugaburira za ngurube noroye biranyorohere kuko byahise bihenduka, ubu nazamuye ubwizigame mu itsinda kuko nizigama hagati ya 1,000Frw na 2,000Frw kucyumweru, nagiye no mu itsinda rya kabiri aho nizigama 6,000Frw buri kwezi kandi nkishyura neza inguzanyo nahawe. Ubu nizeye ko nzageraho nkashinga n’uruganda rutunganya ibiryo by’amatungo.
NDAYISABA Egide, Amahugurwa ku ibanga ry’ubukire yamugiriye akamaro.
AJECL CEFAM VTC
AJECL, since 2015, has organized within its Igicumbi cy’amahoro Center, a 6-month sewing training course for young single mothers or those who experience risky family relationships.
It is a project supported by Friedens kinder (Koblenz, Germany). In the year of 2023 30 young girls in difficulty benefited from free training. All finalists of the year received the Sewing machines at the end of their training.
The center has been accredited by NESA (National Examination & School Inspection Authority) as a vocational school under the name CEFAM VTC (Training Center in Arts and Trades, Vocational
Training Center).