Jeanne Mwiriliza founder of Tubahumurize Association
She seemed older than me, but maybe she wasn’t. I can’t tell how old people are anymore.
It was probably her impressive list of accomplishments that made her seem so.
And my lack of…
Me, a visitor from a tame and civilized land,
She a survivor and a success.
In a fragile land of opportunity, Rwanda is crisscrossed with walls and challenges on every side, and bordered by war and death just across country lines.
I have a successful business at home, but I’ve had every opportunity made easy in a country of immense riches. Yes I work hard, but against what odds?
Do I have vigilantes looking to overthrow everything I know and love less than a hundred miles away? Are Kansas and Arkansas suddenly a threat to my existence?
Her dear friend was murdered at the hands of her husband and she lost her own husband to the Genocide.
As is often the case—tragedy and sorrow prompted Jeanne to do what she could to change her society and dam the flow of domestic abuse often hidden from sight.
Yet her shop smelled of peace and tranquility. From the first minute I stepped out of the bright sunshine into the cool of the tiny space, I was entranced. She greeted us with a warm smile, warmer brown eyes and hugs to go around.
Floor to celling on all sides were a chorus of bright colors, swirling and calling for attention. This is what I’d been waiting for. Purses, bags and billfolds lined the shelves. Jewelry dripped down the walls and spilled onto tables.
Bowls, platters and wallhangings wrapped in colorful threads, welcomed.
Quilts of every color beckoned.
But that is not the best part. She is not an opportunist, she is a savior of sorts. We walked down a long breezeway to the workroom, filled with shy smiles and downcast eyes.
Eyes of women who had seen too much.
Eyes of women who had borne too much.
Eyes of women abused.
A Seamstress for Tubahumurize Association
She provides them with trauma counseling, but most of all, she gives them a way out—a way to support themselves with these vocational skills. For the impoverished and undereducated women before me, it may be the lifeline that saves them.
The average age is 23.
And yes of course I shopped till I dropped. Smiling as I selected goodies for my beloved ones at home, it felt good to help support these women bag by bag and bead by bead.
I left with an armful of goods. Made precious by women who want a different future, a future made possible by her.
Thank you Jamie Boiles for your own tireless work for Rwandan young women and for introducing me.
And thank you Jeanne Mwiriliza for providing hope for a better future.
Her organization—Tubahumurize Association (Means “Let us console and give them hope.”)
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John 16:22 “…Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
-Say a prayer for these women and the person(s) that have helped shape your life.