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Aline is a young mother of two children. Aline’s family used to live in endless conflict. At 16 years old, she experienced asexual violence when she was impregnated for the first time. The family did not accept that she was violated and rejected her. The situation became worse and she found it necessary to lend a house and live alone with her firstborn child. There, she could not get any source of income to afford basic needs for herself and her child. Thus, she decided to become a female sex worker. At this time, she got impregnated for the second time at 19 years old. ‘ I found no other means of living with my children rather than being a female sex worker, I did it to earn a living because I did not have any other option,…’ said Aline.
In 2021, Aline’s children were enrolled in Turengere Abana Program after five years doing sex work and supported with economic strengthening intervention through Internal Saving and Lending Groups (ISLGs). By joining the ISLG, she received messages related to the consequences of acquiring HIV on the individual side from program staff, the reason why she thought she needed to have another source of income rather than sex work to protect her children. When looking around, in her contacts, she knew someone successful in shoe making and she decided to do it too.
She took a small loan of fifty thousand Rwandan francs (50,000 Frws) from her ISLG named Abunzubumwe and she invested it in shoes shoe-making business. Firstly, she invested this money to get on job-trainings (apprenticeship), and during the time of three months, she became an expert in making shoes supported by another shoemaker in the local area.
Aline took another loan of Thirty Thousand Rwandan francs (30,000) from her savings group and started a small business of making shoes and selling them. She bought a shoemaker machine and a few raw materials. The local authority lent her the place in which to operate her business. Thus, her business is located in the building of Nkomangwa cell, Rwamagana District in the Eastern province of Rwanda. Now, she has a group of 6 people that she is helping to acquire the hands-on skills of making shoes. 5 days per week are spent making shoes together with her trainees who contribute to the great production and 2 days along shoes to the market of Ntunga.
Aline’s business is profitable. She can earn a net profit of eighty thousand (Rwf 80,000 ) per month which enables her to access basic needs for her family and pay School fees and health insurance for her children. She also managed to have small livestock ( goats) that were making production and yielding a profit for her. Aline is grateful and earning the funds that help her to live her own life and provide for the children without doing sex work again. “ I thank FXB and its partners for the education and support that are impacting my life and the support they gave my children,” said Aline.