We have had five graduating classes from our sewing school in conjunction with another local NGO called the Tubahumurize Association, which means “let us console them”.
We have a Rwandese counsellor who works with the women every day. She's a full-time counsellor. The women who we take in are all women who have not graduated from high school. All of them have no other form of support. Half of our last graduating class were women who had left the sex trade. The majority of those women had children as a product of rape. As far as the success of the program goes, we also teach them English language because that is now a recognized national language in Rwanda. We also teach them basic literacy skills such as math and language.
As far as where they are at today, this last graduating class, which was probably the most complex because the majority of them had suffered from severe sexual violence, have also started their own businesses. They are all successful. As I shared with them at their graduation, they really did look taller. They stood taller. They had confidence. I have actually seen them interacting with others, unbeknownst to them, and seen them stand up for not just themselves but for their neighbours. These women are very capable. As for the selection process, the women are referred to us by the social affairs department of the district in which we're registered. The vice-mayor herself and I actually walk the streets sometimes and connect with young women who have turned to prostitution and suggest possibly joining the school. We have a wide range, all between the ages of 18 and 35.
As a matter of fact, in our last intake, which was just a month ago, we have one new woman who is 34 years of age, and she has a child who was conceived in rape during the genocide. She is in dire need of help. Even in a month I've seen a difference in her.