PICO Rwanda brings leaders for together national training

“We are going to combine the strength of all our groups and keep growing our ideas to get further,” said Specioza, one of the 45 leaders who gathered for a three day PICO Rwanda national training session at the Jesuit Cristus Center. The training lifted themes of organizing skills, business development, and prophetic action. Opening with reports about the status of their work and closing with signed pledges to one another to move forward, leaders honed their organizing skills (1-1s, research, public accountability meetings) and learned about resources to develop the businesses they have already started – a welding and agriculture co-op in Mumeya, a roofing tile business in Nyange, a health clinic in Rusumo, a community rental space in Nyamata, and arts and crafts in Kigali. In addition to PICO Rwanda staff, Pr. John and Fr. Innocent, training was provided PICO leaders from the United States and local business and lending leaders.
While Rwanda is a global leader in gender equity and economic growth, subsistence farmers and poor city residents struggle to participate. PICO Rwanda is creating the space for these poor communities to gain the organizing and business skills needed to lift themselves from poverty and be a model for others. PICO Rwanda is providing leaders with the skills to organize community labor, land and financial resources; leverage these resources; and provide government another tool to lift Rwandans out of poverty. Cooperatives provide the vehicle to share newly created wealth.
The women’s cooperative in Nyange provides a living example of this prophetic path. “Seventy-six percent of our people did not have houses when we started six years ago. Now we are planning a beautiful road-side business to sell our roofing tiles and show government officials and the many people how far we have come,” says Mediatrice, president of the co-op.