Home » End of Year Fundraising Campaign: A Retreat for Women Survivors and Vocational Training for Survivors

End of Year Fundraising Campaign: A Retreat for Women Survivors and Vocational Training for Survivors

Posted: December 20, 2019
Written by: Genocide Survivors Foundation

As 2019 comes to a close, we’re excited to announce our fundraising campaign focused on women survivors and survivors in need of vocational training. As with much of our work supporting survivors of the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, we’re working to address the mental, emotional, psychological and practical needs of survivors.

A Retreat for Women Survivors

For the third year in a row, we are coordinating with our partners, Survivors Fund and Liliane Pari Umuhoza, to enable women survivors of the 1994 genocide to attend a multi-day retreat. Focused on the many needs of women survivors – trauma and resilience, life-improving strategies and activities, and business and financial planning activities – this unique retreat is often the first opportunity many of these women have had to pause and consider their own well-being.

More often than not, these women survivors are so focused on their own survival and providing for their own children that they don’t have the time, space, and money to consider their own healing. (Many women survivors of genocide are mothers of child born of rape, or are caregivers and providers for their younger siblings as their parents were murdered during the genocide.)

This retreat provides a number of women with this time and space for healing. And with your help, we can cover the costs for those women.

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The cost of sending one woman survivor to attend this life-giving retreat is $150 USD. That amount includes transportation to and from the retreat, accommodation, food, and supplies during the retreat (like pens, notebooks, etc.)

At Genocide Survivors Foundation, we’re aiming to send 10 women survivors to a retreat that’s being organized for 2020. To make that happen, we need to raise $1500. We hope that you’ll consider donating to this important effort to help make a critical intervention of very deserving women survivors of genocide.

Vocational Training to Empower Survivors to Earn Sustainable Incomes

Despite the progress of the economy in Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, many survivors have not been able to capitalize on the country’s economic growth for a host reasons. Many women survivors of all ages lack the necessary skills and education to earn sustainable incomes for themselves and their families. As noted of above, many women survivors are single mothers facing the toughest of situations.

Meet The Vocational Training Students

Together with our partners at Safi Life, we are working to send 10 survivors to vocational training in the next year. We’re sharing the names and photos of the survivors who are eager to grow their skills to secure a sustainable financial future.

The Cost of Vocational Training in Rwanda

Vocational training can be a range of skill areas like hair dressing, tailoring, and more. Depending on the area of study, the cost for vocational training ranges from $350 – $600 USD for a six month training program. That cost includes tuition, course materials, and travel expenses.

As part of our fundraising efforts, we are working to send 10 survivors to vocational training. This training will give these survivors the skills that they need to find employment that pays a sustainable wage or to start their own businesses. Our target for this aspect of our campaign is $6000. We invite you to join us in giving these survivors more than hope – we’re working to provide them with a sustainable future for themselves and their loved ones.

Category: News