INVEST IN HER. WATCH OPPORTUNITY GROW.

In 2013, sixty-five women in Bugesera District, Rwanda, came together with a shared determination: to build a future beyond poverty. They named their cooperative Ingabo Ikingira Ubukene —“a shield against poverty.”

Many were widows who had lost their husbands in the genocide. They grew vegetables in open fields, where drought and unpredictable rainfall could wipe out months of work. They had the ambition to succeed, but needed reliable water, business skills, and access to buyers.

In 2015, Africa Development Promise became their partner. With donor support, ADP helped the women strengthen their cooperative, develop business plans, and learn to budget, save, and access loans. Investments in solar-powered irrigation and greenhouses made harvests more reliable. Training and market connections helped turn those harvests into income.

 As their businesses grew, so did their opportunities.

Between 2023 and 2025, Ingabo’s bell pepper production grew from 450 to 3,200 kilograms, and cooperative income rose from 4 million to 11 million Rwandan francs. Profits now support small loans, livestock, annual bonuses, and household water access.

One of the clearest signs of progress is how much the women can now invest in their own future. When an early greenhouse needed replacing, the cooperative contributed 10% of the cost, with ADP covering the rest. By 2025, they could contribute 50% toward another replacement. Today, they prepare their own business plans, access government loans, and purchase land for expansion.

Their progress reflects years of hard work, partnership, and support from people like you.

This is what your investment can help make possible: stronger enterprises, greater independence, and opportunities that reach beyond one woman to her family and community.

Through our year-end campaign, Invest in Her. Watch Opportunity Grow., Africa Development Promise aims to raise $12,000 to help rural women in Rwanda and Uganda access practical training, tools, and markets to strengthen their enterprises and diversify their income. More reliable and varied sources of income mean women can better weather uncertain harvests, meet household needs, and plan ahead.

Ingabo’s story shows how support today can create benefits that last for years. Your gift helps women build on their abilities and take the next step toward lasting economic independence.

Will you help us reach our $12,000 goal?

Give today. Invest in her. Watch opportunity grow.