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Immaculée Tuyisingize is a young girl born with 5 siblings in a poor family residing in Shyogwe Sector of Muhanga District, Southern province of Rwanda. Immaculée’s family struggled to get the basic needs as it had no source of income, except the small farming yard which could not produce sufficient resources. The family survived traditional agriculture ; the parents used to cultivate their small land and worked for others in farming activities to earn a living.
At schooling age, Immaculée was introduced at the local public primary school, and then after she attended G.S Saint Etienne ; a local Nine Years’ Basic Education School. Immaculée’s family was poor to secure children’s education. Immaculée and her elder sister were often chased away and missed classes. Although Immaculée faced hardship in pursuing her studies regularly when completing her ordinary level, she and her elder sister succeeded with distinction ; therefore, they should attend boarding school. To send the children to school, the family had no choice rather to sell the small land ; the only source of their subsistence.
Consequently, the family got into extreme poverty and the situation got worse for the family members. From her childhood, Immaculée dreamt of becoming a medical doctor inspired by her family relative who was a doctor too. At this point, her dreams shrunk down ; she realized there was no way to complete her education and attain her life goals. She became stressed, thinking she and her sister were a burden and a source of misery to other family members.
In 2018, Immaculée’s family was identified, selected and then after enrolled in Mbare FXBVillage program funded by Mairie de Paris through FXB International. The program supported the family with education, economic empowerment, nutrition and health care support for poverty alleviation. Through education support, Immaculée and her sister continued their studies. It was a heavenly miracle for young ladies as they were at the very point of dropping school. ‘It was like a salvation from God, I could not believe I was going to study without any constraint, it was a miracle…. Before program support, I thought I was going to drop out and help my parents work for others to earn a living. My family was very poor to sustain my education, I felt like my hope for becoming a doctor was running out. I was depressed, the situation turned into darkness day after day until getting good news of FXBVillage program. With education support, it was like the light of my way towards attaining my dreams of becoming a medical doctor. I was bright, the only thing I was missing was support to continue my studies…’ said Immaculée.

Through the three years of FXBVillage program implementation, Immaculée’s Family has been empowered and gained economic autonomy. With the provision of start-up funds and support in the saving group, the family managed to rehabilitate their old house and successfully managed to create farming of small livestock (pigs, goats, and hens) to diversify their income. With economic autonomy, Immaculée’s family managed to secure children’s education even after the program was phased out. Now the family can pay registration and accommodation fees for the children at university and school fees for those who are still in secondary school. Immaculée testifies the program’s economic strengthening intervention was very fundamental for her family’s survival.
Immaculée completed her secondary studies and earned a government scholarship to shift to university. She is pursuing clinical medicine at the University of Rwanda, in her 3rd year. Her elder sister is studying at university too pursuing an education career.
Immaculée is now carrying out her professional internship at CARAES Neuropsychiatric Hospital located in Huye district, Southern province of Rwanda. She is very thankful for the support of FXBVillage program that enabled her to achieve her goal of life ; becoming a doctor. She confirmed that the culture of saving and the education attainment gained throughout program support are like takeaway to achieve all her life goals “ In a few words, I would say the support was all for my life, I could not step forward to my professional career without the support of the FXBVillage program ; LIVE FXB, and LIVE its donor and partners.’ proclaimed Immaculée.