How a savings group helped Sandrine find community, deeper faith, and a better future
Sandrine Niwemuraza had every reason to stay away from church. “[My] mother used to encourage me to go to church, but I did not want to because I didn’t feel welcomed.”
While still in high school in rural Rwanda, Sandrine became pregnant, and she and her mother—also a single parent—felt despair about their situation. They now faced the reality of even deeper generational poverty. Rejected by their extended family, church, and neighbors, they felt alone.
Facing opposition
“I feared going to church. I wanted to go, but I had so much shame because I gave birth without a husband at a young age. People were judging me. I lost confidence and all hope,” Sandrine shares. “Because of the pregnancy, I dropped out of school.”
Her mother was their sole provider, working as a farm laborer to bring home about 85 cents (U.S.) each day she was hired. But it wasn’t every day. Without a steady income, they struggled to make ends meet. Their home was in disrepair, and they couldn’t even afford a secure door.
When a friend from church told her about a savings group for single mothers starting in the church, Sandrine wanted to join. But there was still one barrier: How would she have anything to save?
“I didn’t have a job. So, I was wondering where I would get the money from, but my mother supported the idea. She said she would help me, but I doubted that because she barely had any money to support me and my daughter. But I still wanted to be with the members so I joined with so many questions.”