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Hard Workers

Abanyamurava

Our longest running water venture has grown from a rainwater catchment system serving 120 households to 3 locations with two water tanks each, serving more than 9,000 people in total.

Issue:It is a 3-4 hour long journey to collect water down a long hill to a dirty creek bed. In addition to the disease and lack of hygiene from the poor water access, many of those who were left physically disabled or HIV positive from the genocide are unable to collect for their daily needs. Instead, they are forced to turn to local men with bicycles for water delivery, many of whom exploit the women for sex in return for the water. Those who drink or use the contaminated creek water are often sick, especially the children.

Mission:To end sexual exploitation of disabled, elderly, sick, and pregnant women related to water delivery by men.

Solution:Hard Workers' first venture through Global Grassroots in 2008 saw the construction of a water tank situated close to the center of their village, allowing them to collect rain water in the rainy season, taking delivery of water by truck during the dry seasons. This first venture provided clean water to 120 households (approximately 800 people). The project then expanded to another 3 sites to supply 6,000 people with fresh clean water. The second expansion for the project included installing large tanks to store water for the dry season, ensuring that their communities seldom run out of water.

Impact: In addition to providing water access to more than 9,000 people, the team now donates water to 64 households where there are handicapped women or family members who are blind, elderly, or sick. Profits are also used to pay school fees for 30 local orphans and buy health insurance for 15 vulnerable women and their families. To date Hard Workers has nearly eradicated both sexual violence and sexual exploitation related to water collection or delivery. Through their comprehensive community education program and by providing free or low-cost water filters to disabled households and training on how to use them, the team has also reduced water-borne illness by 98%. The team pays for health workers to visit households that include a pregnant woman or new mother to ensure that she and her baby are getting proper nutrition and taking vitamins. They also ensure that all children under the age of five receives important inoculations and immunizations.

The team is creating partnerships with district leaders, Coojade Bank, and the national water company (EWSA), all of whom want to work with the team towards greater expansion in the area. All team members have been able to open their own bank accounts and they now each own a goat, which helps them provide more nutrition to their families. Additionally, profits from those who are able to pay for water have allowed the team to create a non-profit micro-finance fund for vulnerable women.

Project Details

Abanyamurava: Hard Workers

Location: Gahanga District, Kigali City
Team Members: 19 founding members
Beneficiaries: 9000
Launched: 2008


Living Stories

Abanyamurava: Hard Worker

View Seraphine Hacimana of Abanyamurava



Abanyamurava: Hard Worker
by Global Grassroots

Once living on the edge of survival, Seraphine, a 39 year old mother of 8 children, with a 1st grade education, is now considered a community leader.

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Once living on the edge of survival, Seraphine, a mother of 8 children, with a 1st grade education, is now considered a community leader.

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