A Moment of Reflection: Mukasanga Eugenie
Mukasanga Eugenie already knew that water was an issue in the village where she lives in Jali Sector in Rwanda. She and a group of women had already realized that, if they could solve the problem of water collection, so many other issues in their lives would be automatically addressed. So in May of 2015, when Eugenie learned about Global Grassroots on Umuganda, the monthly national day of service in Rwanda, she knew she had found the solution. Eugenie and her group immediately applied for the Women’s Academy for Conscious Change and were accepted.
“It was hard to make husbands to understand and even see the future benefit of allowing you to leave home for two weeks [for the training]. But, I really wanted to see women not missing any opportunity [to have better access to] water as I was among those who faced the results of water scarcity, such as carrying a 20-liter jerry can on my head while nine months pregnant, spending a long time at the well, getting easily sick from drinking water, and coming home late to find my husband already upset because he didn’t care how hard it was to get water from the well. So, surely, I was aware and feel all those women problems because I had the same experience.”
Bright Future is now providing a brighter future for all the women and their families in their community. On 28 March 2017, the team had their water tested and were able to launch their venture. In their first month of sales, 1,023 people purchased water at their site – and the number of water customers is growing daily. The team provides two free jerry cans of water to eight vulnerable households, four of which are headed by elderly women and/or the physically disabled, and four very poor families that cannot afford the Rwf 20 per jerry can. Bright Future also provides training on the triggers of domestic violence as well as on hygiene and sanitation. So far, 76 women, 48 men and eight school drop-outs have attended both trainings and two women have been saved from domestic violence.
