In Zinga Cell, Munyaga Sector, Rwamagana District in the Western Province of Rwanda, a group of young people is transforming their future through savings, solidarity, and entrepreneurship. Terimbere Rubyiruko Zinga, a youth saving group supported through the Gera Ku Ntego Youth Project, has become a source of hope and self-reliance for many young people in the community.
The initiative was supported by Catholic Relief Services Rwanda (CRS) and implemented by Caritas Kibungo in partnership with Caritas Rwanda. In March 2024, the youth were encouraged to organize themselves into saving groups, strengthen their culture of saving, and support one another through internal lending.
Starting with weekly contributions of only Rwf 200 with Rwf 50 of contribution to the social fund (with the possibility of saving up to 4 savings i.e. Rwf 800 Frw), the group gradually strengthened its financial confidence and and generated interest through small internal loans. As the members continued working together, they explored additional ways to improve their livelihoods and identified shoemaking as a promising business opportunity.
With support from the project, the group acquired essential equipment, including a sanding machine and a sewing machine, enabling them to begin producing and repairing shoes locally. Today, they mainly produce Maasai sandals while planning to expand into different styles of man footwear in the future.
For young people living in this rural area, the project responds to a real local need. Before, community members had to travel long distances and spend significant transport costs to buy shoes from larger markets. “The main markets we depend on are Rwamagana and Rubona markets. Traveling from here to Rwamagana takes about one and a half hours, and a motorcycle ride costs around Rwf 1,500 one way, meaning Rwf 3,000 for a round trip. We realized that if we produce shoes here in Munyaga, people who used to travel to Rwamagana or Rubona to buy shoes could instead purchase them nearby.”, says Espérence Mushimiyimana, president of Terimbere Rubyiruko Zinga SILC group.
The story of Terimbere Rubyiruko Zinga demonstrates how youth empowerment, combined with savings and entrepreneurship, can create lasting change in rural communities.
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