From Farming Challenges to Economic Empowerment: The transformative journey of Murangamirwa Yvonne
My name is Murangamirwa Yvonne. I am a farmer, and a married mother of five children whom I live with in the South Province of Rwanda, while my husband is employed in France.
I first connected with CMS-Africa through the F4 Training program. This training ignited my enthusiasm and brought significant changes to my life, especially in improving my family’s economy. My husband has been incredibly supportive and happy about these developments.
I then enrolled for the WEP training together with a group of 30 women, a training facilitated by Rev. Nkusi Josias. We greatly expanded our knowledge and skills.
Before the training, I was involved in farming but lacked adequate knowledge. This often resulted in significant financial losses during harvest due to poor management. However, WEP and F4 equipped me with the tools to plan and organize my business effectively. Before the training, my monthly income was approximately $500. After three years of applying the principles I learned—such as saving, investing, giving, and tithing—my monthly income has doubled to $1,000.
Today, my goal is to diversify and expand my farming activities. I plan to start producing mangoes, beans, maize, soybeans, papayas, and avocados. Together with my husband, we have also purchased four cows. These cows provide us with a steady supply of milk, some of which we sell, while the rest is used for our family. Additionally, the cows produce manure, which has significantly improved the productivity of our farm.
Before undergoing the training, I struggled with poor planning and lacked the vision to sell my produce at an optimum profit. Now, I have a clear strategy and plan to collaborate with other members who have also undergone the training. I have come to understand that everything is possible when we work as good stewards. We are now focused on informing and impacting others in our church and community, sharing the transformative lessons we’ve learned to inspire broader change.