In the words of Esperance Mutegwaraba: “I never gave up and I am learning everyday”

Globally, 1.7 billion adults remain unbanked, and 56 per cent of them are women, according to latest data from The World Bank. The trend continues in Africa, where up to 95 million unbanked adults receive cash payments for agricultural products, and 65 million save using semiformal methods. Lack of access to banking services and financial skills such as saving, budgeting and debt management, means women who are already poor, have little or no means to invest, retire or build a cushion against emergencies.

 

In humanitarian crisis, these challenges are compounded.

Esperance Mutegwaraba, 61, fled the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012 along with 30,000 refugees. Because of her age and illiteracy, she wasn’t getting opportunities to work until enrolling in a UN Women-supported programme run by Indego Africa, which trains refugee women in entrepreneurial skills. Funded through UN Women with the support of the Swedish International Development Agency, the programme also teaches refugee women financial skills and gives them access to cooperative and banking services. The cooperative has a tontine, which provides credit to the members and the interest earned can be re-invested as start-up capital.

“Escaping war along with my four children and four grandchildren, and a young orphan girl I rescued...life was really tough. We parted ways with my husband, had nowhere to sleep, and nowhere to go.

Esperance Mutegwaraba, weaving amidst the women from Igisubizo Cooperative. Photo: Novella Nikwigize/UN Women, 2019

"We came to this refugee camp in June 2012. My children are my motivation to stay here because if I take them back to Congo, they will not be able to finish their studies.

"I was so excited when I was selected to be trained in UN Women’s programme in the refugee camp. We are learning how to weave beautiful baskets that Indego Africa sells all over the world. We receive orders and we get paid through personal bank accounts that we opened as part of the programme, a first for me. Our cooperative, Igisubizo (The Solution) earned around 300,000 Rwandan francs (USD 340) from its first order.

Esperance Mutegwaraba smiling. Photo: Novella Nikwigize/UN Women, 2019

"In the six years that I’ve spent in the refugee camp, this is the first time that I have somewhere to go and be productive, meet other women, share experiences and comfort each other. I am 61 years old; the other women call me “Taté” (granny). Earlier, people used to doubt that I was capable of working, because of my age. But the programme raised my confidence, and despite the many failed attempts at weaving baskets in the beginning, I never gave up and I am learning everyday with the support of the trainers.

 

Esperance Mutegwaraba, on the door to her house in the Kigeme Refugee Camp in Rwanda. Photo: Novella Nikwigize/UN Women, 2019

"In my hometown, the only available work for women would be farming or domestic works; we were not expected to work together in cooperatives or speak in public. Coming here really taught us a lot, this is knowledge that I will use if I go back to the Congo.

"We have learned how to manage our finances and we save 10 per cent of what we earn in our accounts. Even though it’s just the beginning, I can already feel the impact on my family and this gives me hope for their future…the programme opened doors that I never knew existed.”