Waste valorisation and social recognition
In Rwanda, women boost development. They have been major players in post-genocide reconstruction. Today, many women take steps to escape from misery and generate revenue outside of agriculture.
Cécile Nyirabahutu is such a women. She is 45 and has nine children to take care of. Since 2009 she has been in the business of making briquettes to fuel food cookers. Briquettes are a perfect substitute for charcoal, which is expensive, very polluting and contributes to deforestation.
Begging from visitors
It all started when Cécile, who mainly lived from begging from visitors to the gorillas and volcano parks in the north of Rwanda, was offered training. She says a ‘tourist’ asked her and some thirty other members of her community to consider their future. In fact, it was an NGO that raised the issue and that same NGO still helps Cécile today. She is actually the only one to have persevered, while the others did not see the immediate advantage of the project and returned to begging. Yet, today there’s jealousy when they see Cécile’s living conditions are improving.
Simple solution
The briquette technique is simple and contributes to environmental protection. After collecting waste paper, it is mixed with water and crushed by hand. Afterwards, cattle faeces are added to this mixture and the whole is pressed so water is removed and compact briquettes result. After drying, the briquettes are ready for use.
Cécile collects waste paper at schools or in the offices of the local administration. When she does so she uses the occasion to promote her business. She hopes to be able to set up a sales point in town in order to boost her revenue and to promote the technique.
Right now, Cécile can generate an income of between 20 and 40 euros per month. That way, now she can feed and dress the whole of her family. She was also able to buy a plot of land where she grows potatoes.
Real changes
This is but a beginning. Cécile is not fully autonomous yet, but changes are real. Recently, the Northern Province awarded her innovative initiative, which others can easily copy. She won a prize of 250 euros to enable her to work better and improve outputs. This prize was awarded by the Province in partnership with a project of the Belgian Development Cooperation, which supports social, economic and cultural initiatives.
Facts and Figures
- Support Project for the social, economic and cultural development in the Northern Province (PADSEC-PN INSANGANO)
- Funding: Rwanda (60,960 €) and Belgium (4 million €)
- Period: 2009-2013
- The project finances the initiatives of 138 non-governmental actors on the basis of their involvement in reconciliation and the fight against poverty. The range of initiatives is very broad: from the basketwork cooperative to the recording studio for local artists, via the establishment of a bakery or the recycling of waste.
- The project also contributes to the capacity development of the decentralised territorial entities (15 sectors selected in the 5 districts of the Province), in particular by financing local development projects under a social and cultural policy.
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