I met Musabyimana Marie Gaudence while reporting about women’s agricultural cooperatives in Rwanda. After Musabyimana returns home from the farming field in the afternoons, she teaches women in her community how to make handcrafts and jewelry. She hopes these skills will empower them to lift themselves out of poverty. She is a strong believer in the power of unity. Musabyimana is a survivor of the genocide and finds that working together can help women heal from the trauma that has been left behind. I was inspired by her drive to help others and kind spirit. Before I left, she gave me a beautiful handmade necklace and bracelet so that I would not forget her. But her love and determination will be impossible for me to forget.
-Luisa Garcia