Rose Niyonsenga (Ajprodho-Jijukirwa)
Name: NIYONSENGA Rose
Project sector: street vendor
Implementing Partners:
AJPRODHO - JIJUKIRWA
YWCA RWANDA
CARE AUSTRIA
Location: Rwanda
Project: link
NIYONSENGA Rose, from INEZA VSLA Group based in Nyabugogo Cell, Kigali Sector, Nyarugenge District is 24 years old and a single mother of 1 child. Before she was introduced to YIES project and joined a VSLA group, she traded in poor quality Chinese shoes on the streets of Kigali with a capital of about Frw 5,000 (7 USD).
We street venders commonly known as “wazunguzayi” are prohibited from trading on the streets because authorities say we steal customers from traders who sale the same products from their shops and market stalls; that we do not pay taxes; and that we facilitate theft, disturb the traffic and peace of the city. As a result, our business items are often times confiscated and and sometimes we are detained, as a means to frighten us from street vending”.
Her Voluntary Saving and Lending Association (VSLA) was started on May 24, 2015 with 30 members. Rose is one of the members that benefited from the VSLA loan from their group and has since grown her business“…I have grown my business 8 fold because I now use 40,000 frws to purchase shoes, thanks to the loan from my VSLA group that I acquired in September. I have also stopped trading in the third class Chinese shoes and now trade in 2nd class Taiwanese shoes”. Besides growth of her business, she is able to meet basic household needs including feeding her family, paying mutual health insurance, house rent, and other every-day-life needs.
The project approach involves target setting by every VSLA member and encourages beneficiaries to have a clear vision of where they want to be. Rose has big dreams including buying a plot of land to set up a house in her home town, and buying a business stall in the Nyabugogo public market. Since joining the VSLA group, Rose accessed 2 loans from her VSLA group; Frws 20,000 and Frw 40,000. She has retreated from the street and started trading in front of her house, where, even if not gazetted as business premises, it is a lot safer because it is easier to find understanding from the community authorities where she stays, than from city police.
NIYONSENGA Rose, from INEZA VSLA Group based in Nyabugogo Cell, Kigali Sector, Nyarugenge District is 24 years old and a single mother of 1 child. Before she was introduced to YIES project and joined a VSLA group, she traded in poor quality Chinese shoes on the streets of Kigali with a capital of about Frw 5,000 (7 USD).
We street venders commonly known as “wazunguzayi” are prohibited from trading on the streets because authorities say we steal customers from traders who sale the same products from their shops and market stalls; that we do not pay taxes; and that we facilitate theft, disturb the traffic and peace of the city. As a result, our business items are oftentimes confiscated and and sometimes we are detained, as a means to frighten us from street vending”.
Her Voluntary Saving and Lending Association (VSLA) was started on May 24, 2015 with 30 members. Rose is one of the members that benefited from the VSLA loan from their group and has since grown her business“…I have grown my business 8 fold because I now use 40,000 frws to purchase shoes, thanks to the loan from my VSLA group that I acquired in September. I have also stopped trading in the third class Chinese shoes and now trade in 2nd class Taiwanese shoes”. Besides growth of her business, she is able to meet basic household needs including feeding her family, paying mutual health insurance, house rent, and other every-day-life needs.
The project approach involves target setting by every VSLA member and encourages beneficiaries to have a clear vision of where they want to be. Rose has big dreams including buying a plot of land to set up a house in her home town, and buying a business stall in the Nyabugogo public market. Since joining the VSLA group, Rose accessed 2 loans from her VSLA group; Frws 20,000 and Frw 40,000. She has retreated from the street and started trading in front of her house, where, even if not gazetted as business premises, it is a lot safer because it is easier to find understanding from the community authorities where she stays, than from city police.