Economic empowerment is strengthened to allow people to think beyond immediate daily survival and to exercise greater control over both their resources and life choices. Prison Fellowship Rwanda enables households with provision of livestock, agriculture trainings and lands. Mostly we support the people to take their own decisions around making some small investments and taking risks in order to increase their income. We work to build a sense of autonomy and self-confidence among the people and helping people to act collectively to change their economic status and ensure nutritional stability in their families. This program’s overall aim is to support governmental efforts to promote human security and support social empowerment of vulnerable families. Currently 300 saving groups are operating to become social interactions self-sustaining communities. In additional, PFR encourage agriculture and livestock, sewing, carpentry, making baskets and various sort of Income generating activities. In additional to improving their living condition working together in the cooperatives binds the habitants of the villages for a common goal and increases the sense of oneness, builds trust, confidence, interdependence and create room for social interactions.
IMPACT
Throughout, restorative justice interventions, more than 1,000 families of prisoners and genocide survivors were provided with 1009 goats and agriculture inputs as well as fertilizers.
Graduates from Sociotherapy groups are coming together for sustainable healing through socio-economic development activities. The socio-economic activities done by graduate groups consisted of mutual help in farming activities, saving and credits, agricultural and livestock. About 155 group members are involved in income generating activities
Caregivers in The Child’s journey Program learn to depend less on the program support, with different farming training, they learned to boost agricultural productivity and were provided with farming inputs. On other hand, they use their saving and credits to improve their life, growing income and providing their families with the basics. 69% of the caregivers are currently active in support groups. Through saving and credits schemes they gradually make small investments in small scale economic initiatives that ultimately help them to transform their lives.
Furthermore 8 cooperatives that are operating in the reconciliation villages to generate income and improve their livelihoods. These cooperatives and clubs help them to keep connected, promote their social cohesion and collaboration in addressing problems they face in their daily lives. This also improves their psychological well-being as they help each other by listening, providing emotional support and counselling as well as referrals to higher level service providers
