My name is Christine Mukamurigo and I live in the village of Nyakagezi in the Huye district in Rwanda.

I lived in solitude, in extreme poverty, without a home, with infertile land and no agricultural tools, with chronic famine and a family plagued by disease.

APROJUMAP has been helping us since 2013. The organization gathered us all together and taught us a number of practices, one of which was “weekly cooperative action”.

We got to know one another, love one another and we now help one another by building houses and working in the fields. Our fields have started to produce food and there is no longer talk of famine in our homes.

We have reclaimed our dignity in the eyes of our neighbors and the authorities.

Cooperative action has given us a reason to hope again, we will carry on the work for as long as we live and we will leave it to our children when we are gone!

APROJUMAP brought us some young Belgians who gave us an extra helping hand with our cooperative action. Together we have made adobe bricks, built houses, transported wood, planted rice and so on.

We have shared many values of our respective cultures such as dance, friendship, love, solidarity and enthusiasm!

Even if some of us don´t have enough physical strength to actively participate in the activities, we do our best to not leave them out.

Cooperative action has given us a reason to hope again, we will carry on the work for as long as we live and we will leave it to our children when we are gone!

This English translation has been possible thanks to the PerMondo project: Free translation of website and documents for non-profit organisations. A project managed by Mondo Agit. Translator: David Turner. Proofreader: Emma White.