Empowering dreams through D.R.E.A.M.S : The rebirth of Latifa’s ambitions

In the village of Butangampundu, Masaka Sector of Kicukiro District, resides 17-year-old Latifa Uwituze, a 9th grade student. She is the second born in a family of 6, all living under the care of their mother Anualite Nyirahabihirwe, a hardworking mother and farmer, whose husband lives with disabilities.
Latifa has always desired to become a doctor, but her family’s financial constraints cast a shadow on her education as it was hard paying Rwf24,000 ($19) of tuition for each of the four children. The road to her dreams seemed too distant.

"Often, my brother would come home without his report card because the school fees had not been paid," Latifa recalls. "At least at my school, I was given my report card out of pity."

Despite the difficulties that strained her education, she pulled through and was able to complete primary school. It, however, didn’t get better from there on as secondary school tuition was Rwf40,000, nearly double the price they were already paying.

As she entered adolescence, envy tugged at her heartstrings as her peers adorned themselves with more fashionable clothes, shoes, and mobile phones. Those feelings subsided as quickly as they came when one of her classmates who was adorned with all those things she so desperately longed for got pregnant. One of our classmates had a smartphone, and she would always wear trendy ripped jeans and sneakers," Latifa recalls. "I would dream of a day when I could be like her. Then one day we heard that she was pregnant. She dropped out of school and from what I gathered she is now poor and homeless. It was a such scary experience to witness.”

In 2023, Latifa joined the D.R.E.A.M.S(Determined Resilient Empowered, AIDS free, Mentored and Safe) program under the USAID/Igire Wiyubake project. Through the program, she gained invaluable knowledge on her Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), life skills, and financial literacy. Additionally, she joined an Internal Saving and Lending Group(ISLG), in which she would save Rwf200 weekly.

"The lesson on Life skills really opened my eyes. It made me aware of the fact that my life was in my hands. What would my life become if I woke tomorrow and my mom could no longer afford my needs. So with the newfound wisdom and skills I acquired, I have embraced responsibility for my future.” Latifa shared.

Today, Latifa, who is not in boarding school anymore, when she has some time to spare on the weekends, she earns some money through casual jobs, such as fetching water and transporting manure to neighboring fields. These efforts earn her around Rwf1,000 to Rwf1,500 per day, which she uses to boost her savings. More importantly, due to her new found hopw ever since she started saving, Latifa has now revived her dreams of becoming a doctor, a true testament to her indomitable spirit in the face of adversity.

"I finally understand that keeping money by myself often leads to unnecessary spending, which can expose a young girl to the risks of prostitution, contracting HIV/AIDS, or becoming prematurely pregnant,” she said.

By the end of 2023, Latifa’s savings group had shared the interest accrued over a year, and she earned Rwf45,550. She used this amount to complete her portion of the school fees for the 2023-2024 year, totaling Rwf28,500. The Igire Wiyubake project provides Rwf30,000 per year and also supplies her with school materials. With the remaining funds, Latifa purchased new clothes and gave the rest to her mother.

This selfless act did not go unnoticed by Anualite, her mother. "I didn’t have enough money, and I didn’t know what to do !" she exclaims. "I was surprised to hear that Latifa had paid the remaining school fees herself,” she proudly testified.
She now leads a group of 27 girls of her age in the KWANDA (meaning growing) savings group. Latifa’s story is not hers alone ; it echoes across the 207 savings groups, embodying the collective resilience of 5,052 young women under the Igire Wiyubake/DREAMS project.