Letter Quotes: Nigeria and Rwanda

“Thank you very much for being my sponsor sister in the program Women for Women. I am full of joy for the support and encouragement you gave me. My condition before was full up ups and downs, things were very hard. I hope my life will change with your support; thank you for sending sponsorship funds to us. …I have a sister with me here, you have proved to be another one, you are my sister indeed. I will put my effort to see that I learn what thy have to teach us.” –Eucharia from Nigeria

“By now you may be wondering what is happening in our clan (Women for Women). This is to tell you about the positive impact in my life. I learnt many things but to start with is political power, that we women have equal power in government. In fact that we can contest for any political post even presidency or any political appointment and have the right to vote and be voted for during election.” –Beatrice from Nigeria

“Thank you very much for your sponsorship which I am very much pleased with my family is also very much happy. I have finished to shelter our house and I have bought a cow from the profit I made from this sponsorship. Actually have been doing well in my small business I have been making a good profit. I’m hoping to open an account from the bank where I will be saving some little money. I wish I could meet you and hug you with my both arms. I have got a new baby boy he is one month old. God has answered our prayers.” –Silvine from Rwanda

“I am a single mother, my husband left me with one child. I told her about our friendship and she was very happy so every time I write she tells me to send greetings to you. She knows that all I managed to achieve was because of your sponsorship.” –Floride from Rwanda

“Thank you very much for sponsoring me from poverty which I was in and I am infected with the HIV/AIDS I am on the medicine which reduces the power and strength of HIV/AIDS and this medicine needs to be taken when you have taken something or eaten so I was very stressed. …I was almost giving up with my life because of this disease but now I am doing well because of your sponsorship which I am using to produce profit and this profit is helping to feed my five children with my parent. …Thank you from your sister who loves you.” –Odette from Rwanda

Letter Quotes: Nigeria, Rwanda, DRC, Kosova, and Bosnia

“The cool breeze of the wet night sang across my window, singing in my heart, looking for you. A joyful spoonful of smile, the multiplication of joy and addition of above that I have decided to write you this today. But before I will proceed, I must ask of your health, your daughter’s health (Marie) and your son (Brian) with an optimistic that you are all majestically swimming in the oceans of life if so praise to God.” –Cecilia from Nigeria

“I am married. I have a husband and we have five children all are boys. I am the one caring for the children alone their father does not care for them. Before your sponsorship I was always in worried thinking of how to raise my children and I could not get the answer but now I have no problem. I go to the market buy a full sack of beans and sell them for profit which is helping me to buy my needs. Thank you very much.” –Marie Joseé from Rwanda

“When my husband chased me, he told me that I’ll become a street woman but when I was admitted in the Women for Women program, my life began to improve. Through the financial help you are giving me, I paid the school fees for my two studying children and had my house built, till now I no longer get wet when it rains. I also learned much from the instructions and was comforted. I’m sure that even after graduation I will go on selling local beer and get money. I’m saving money, when I will get a considerable amount, I will bring it to the cooperative bank. My children will go on studying and that man will be confused. I was illiterate but now I know to read and write my name.” –Emerciane from the DRC

“The letter I received from you I liked it very much and made me feel very good form the fact that this letter came from a country which gave a big contribution for the freedom of my country which we and our families enjoy today in Kosova. Even though the war had brought us many human losses and material losses our people of Kosova have made it and are challenging this high economic crisis. The program of Women for Women is a very good program that enables many women to take part and learn things about the daily life. Also for me the chance was given to me to participate in this program and learn many things. I am currently learning about “Business Administration” which I dreamed for so many years…. The learning of business administration is a learning that I truly love because I want to be able to administrate a business. This learning will maybe enable me or other women to find a job and support our children.” –Imrane from Kosova

“Dear sister, you asked do I have traumas from the war. Of course I have. I was in a refugee camp. Organization “Women for Women” is good cure for that. Dear sister, I’m writing you and I’m crying. Even if you’re far from me, I feel like I know all my life. I wish that no one ever feel the war on the skin. I hope your new president Barack Obama will bring peace to the world and that no one will cry.” –Zekira from Bosnia

Rwandan Family with Goats

Claire from Rwanda poses with her children and two goats she purchased with her sponsorship funds.

Letter Quotes: Sudan and Rwanda

“My name is Abuoi with age of 46 years. As old woman I don’t have my own home according to our culture, old women stays at her married daughter. …I managed to attend training although old. I don’t mind about my age…I would like to learn despite the age. Our culture could not allow girls and women to be free in expressing their rights. Girls are more exploited and denied education.” –Aboui from Sudan

“Recently the clashes interfered with our clans in our village Alool therefore we are displaced from our village. The gov’t is solving the disputes so that we go back. As a mother I work to survive throughout the day. Our culture doesn’t allow us to express our problems as women and girls in the society. The gov’t is planning disarmament. The culture and customs are very hard.” –Monica from Sudan

“Indeed I am married with eight children, two daughters married with uneducated men. Now according to our culture, a woman had no right over her children especially during marriages. You get no benefits. …Now I have farming plots which is initiated by WfW-Sudan, at least I get money from selling of vegetables. …Our culture is very strong but I took my three children to school. One girl and two boys in school.” –Rebecca from Sudan

“Your support found me in a very poor life in which I ate on a condition that I had to work in other people’s gardens and they gave me food as my salary. But after meeting you, my life has now improved and I no longer work in other people’s gardens to earn food; I joined with other women in an association where by we sell bananas; I also sell tomatoes in my home. At home my husband and I were not in peace at all but after receiving your support, we are now living in harmony. This is all because of you.” –Vestine from Rwanda

“I am thanking God that the sponsorship you have sent to me have helped me from the difficulties but now I have improved to a better ways of living. I am no longer very poor as I was before your sponsorship. No more sickness as before which was caused by poor ways of living. I have opened an account in the bank where I am saving my money every months and I am helped by the lessons we were taught in this program. Even if this program ends I will continue to do better. Will never go back to where I was before this sponsorship.” –Marie Gloriose from Rwanda

“My name is Abuoi with age of 46 years.  As old woman I don’t have my own home according to our culture, old women stays at her married daughter.  …I managed to attend training although old.  I don’t mind about my age…I would like to learn despite the age.  Our culture could not allow girls and women to be free in expressing their rights.  Girls are more exploited and denied education.” –Aboui from Sudan

“Recently the clashes interfered with our clans in our village Alool therefore we are displaced from our village.  The gov’t is solving the disputes so that we go back.  As a mother  I work to survive throughout the day.  Our culture doesn’t allow us to express our problems as women and girls in the society.  The gov’t is planning disarmament.  The culture and customs are very hard.” –Monica from Sudan

“Indeed I am married with eight children, two daughters married with uneducated men.  Now according to our culture, a woman had no right over her children especially during marriages.  You get no benefits.  …Now I have farming plots which is initiated by WfW-Sudan, at least I get money from selling of vegetables.  …Our culture is very strong but I took my three children to school.  One girl and two boys in school.” –Rebecca from Sudan

“Your support found me in a very poor life in which I ate on a condition that I had to work in other people’s gardens and they gave me food as my salary.  But after meeting you, my life has now improved and I no longer work in other people’s gardens to earn food; I joined with other women in an association where by we sell bananas; I also sell tomatoes in my home.  At home my husband and I were not in peace at all but after receiving your support, we are now living in harmony.  This is all because of you.” –Vestine from Rwanda

“I am thanking God that the sponsorship you have sent to me have helped me from the difficulties but now I have improved to a better ways of living.  I am no longer very poor as I was before your sponsorship.  No more sickness as before which was caused by poor ways of living.  I have opened an account in the bank where I am saving my money every months and I am helped by the lessons we were taught in this program.  Even if this program ends I will continue to do better.   Will never go back to where I was before this sponsorship.” –Marie Gloriose from Rwanda

Letter Quotes: Rwanda, DRC, and Bosnia

“Thank you very much for your love and commitment you have committed for helping me to a better life. I have been receiving your messages with much pleasure and it has been very useful to me and my problems have almost reduced. I am selling dried cassava and cassava flour and I am getting some profit which is helping me and my family…. I am also thanking women from this program who are delivering your messages to us. They are doing it with a good heart and they have been teaching us. May God bless you all.” –Clotilde from Rwanda

“I’d like to tell you that I got good instructions at Women for Women. What interested me more is the topic about women and family law. When I learned these instructions, I was released and very happy to discover my right in the family. I was glad to learn about 3 types of food for a good health. We also learned about breeding. I’m now breeding guinea-pigs. I’m getting fertilizer from them and they are enabling me to pay school fees for my children. I thank you for all these instructions because they are changing my life positively, even my children are well keeping.” –Francine from DRC

“For those three months since I am in this program, my life is completely fulfilled. Thanks to you, I met many new friends. I decided to take a course in knitting which will be useful for my future because I will be able to earn something by this…. Last five years were so hard for me in my life because of family and health problems. Now I hope that this is behind me. All in all, this organization “Women for Women International” will take and mark one year as very important in my life. I consider that I am braver and have bigger self-confidence. I am also feeling healthier for now. I wish you all the best and lots of health in your life” –Sida from Bosnia

“Thank you very much because I am no longer very lonely. I am meeting my fellow friends who we are exchanging ideas. From this program I have learned a lot of things which are very important like the lesson of building yourself and how to live with others well and peacefully and how e should live a better life with good health and so many others. Now we have formed a cooperative which grows pineapples and keeping some domestic animals. Our pineapples are still very young but looking healthy. We are also building where we are going to keep our animals which is also very nice.” –Clotilde from Rwanda

“Now I’m going to tell you something about what I want in my life. I’d like to have a job. My dream is to have my own textile trade, because I’m good in trade. I hope your financial support will help me with my dream. I’m saving your money, and later I’ll try something. In advance, thank you. Who knows, maybe my dream will come true.” –Nusreta from Bosnia

“Thank you very much for your love and commitment you have committed for helping me to a better life.  I have been receiving your messages with much pleasure and it has been very useful to me and my problems have almost reduced.  I am selling dried cassava and cassava flour and I am getting some profit which is helping me and my family….  I am also thanking women from this program who are delivering your messages to us.  They are doing it with a good heart and they have been teaching us.  May God bless you all.” –Clotilde from Rwanda

“I’d like to tell you that I got good instructions at Women for Women.  What interested me more is the topic about women and family law.  When I learned these instructions, I was released and very happy to discover my right in the family.  I was glad to learn about 3 types of food for a good health.  We also learned about breeding.  I’m now breeding guinea-pigs.  I’m getting fertilizer from them and they are enabling me to pay school fees for my children.  I thank you for all these instructions because they are changing my life positively, even my children are well keeping.” –Francine from DRC

“For those three months since I am in this program, my life is completely fulfilled.  Thanks to you, I met many new friends.  I decided to take a course in knitting which will be useful for my future because I will be able to earn something by this….  Last five years were so hard for me in my life because of family and health problems.  Now I hope that this is behind me.  All in all, this organization “Women for Women International” will take and mark one year as very important in my life.  I consider that I am braver and have bigger self-confidence.  I am also feeling healthier for now.  I wish you all the best and lots of health in your life” –Sida from Bosnia

“Thank you very much because I am no longer very lonely.  I am meeting my fellow friends who we are exchanging ideas.  From this program I have learned a lot of things which are very important like the lesson of building yourself and how to live with others well and peacefully and how e should live a better life with good health and so many others.  Now we have formed a cooperative which grows pineapples and keeping some domestic animals.  Our pineapples are still very young but looking healthy.  We are also building where we are going to keep our animals which is also very nice.” –Clotilde from Rwanda

“Now I’m going to tell you something about what I want in my life.  I’d like to have a job.  My dream is to have my own textile trade, because I’m good in trade.  I hope your financial support will help me with my dream.  I’m saving your money, and later I’ll try something.  In advance, thank you.  Who knows, maybe my dream will come true.” –Nusreta from Bosnia

Letter Quotes: Nigeria, Iraq, Rwanda, and DRC

“I was very happy to be a member of this wonderful organization Women for Women for its great impact in my life. For long ago we had been deprived our right in community as women, but glory be to God who put his idea of introducing Women for Women program…. The program is contributing immensely in development of my community such as social amenities like good road, electricity and good water, peace and justice etc.” –Evelyn from Nigeria

“I would like to congratulate you for the new job and for the publishing of your book. I really wish to be like you but here in Iraq we do not have complete freedom in terms of work and cultural activities. …I am happy for you because you are achieving what you want, and I agree with you that lessons are important to open our minds. I attend many lectures.” –Awatif from Iraq

“Sending my greetings to my sponsor sister, I am from future generation who will raise this country that suffer from destruction but with God will the sun rise again in my country and the flowers will blossom because I love flowers. All my thanks and appreciation for your financial support to the Iraqi woman in this circumstance; I did a lot of things with this amount.” –Abeer from Iraq

“I thank you very much for your support. I have been able to start up a small business dealing in selling tomatoes and nuts. This has enabled me to support my family. You have helped me to realize my dreams.” –Julienne from Rwanda

“As for the training, I like it so much and I am very happy with the topic about women’s rights and DRC constitution. Thanks to this topic, I am now aware of the fact that a woman has also the right to inherit her father’s properties, but in the past I knew nothing of all that.” –Baderhekuguma from DRC

“I am very happy with the training I am getting at Women for Women International. Thanks to it, I am now aware of my rights as a woman. Also, I am very pleased with the topics about basic business and marketing skills and how to live harmoniously with my husband. In the past, I know nothing about the selling activity but today I am informed of how to buy goods at wholesale, and how to sell successfully. I am selling soaps.” –Yvette from  DRC

“The topic which has already interested me much so far is job opportunities for women. Before I joined this program, I did not know that a woman can survive thanks to her connection with other women of her community, but today I am informed of all that. I am really very happy with the changes that my life is undergoing thanks to Women for Women International.” –Furaha from DRC

Letter Quotes: Rwanda, DRC, and a sponsor

Rwanda:

“I was so pleased with your support in that whenever I think about you, I look at it and kiss it. This makes me so happy. Thierry also knows that he has a person who loves him and sent him birds; he always tells me that we should come to visit you, but I tell him that it’s not possible and show him the picture.” —Jeanne Marie

“What one can say is that about the genocide effects; am an orphan and lost almost all my relatives. What hurts me the most is that I didn’t have any chance to go to school like other children. Because the one who could have taken care of me wasn’t there; and this brings me great sorrow. But now we are living in total peace and security and unity with people who killed our families.” —Olive

“Embrey I love you soooo much!!!! Because you improved my life from deep poverty and now am doing well, and my children have enough they need for school; they have no problem; they have uniform, books, pens and shoes, they have no problem. Even the one who is in high school, we are looking for his needs and soon we shall get them, no problem. This is all because of you Embrey!” —Donatha

“I am very thankful for what you have sending, on another hand I was very sad when I learnt that you don’t have a child, if that was God’s plan there is nothing else you can do about it. I thought that if would be possible I would give you one of my children, and you stay with her, so that when you come back home you find someone at home, when you go for work you leave someone at home. But again where shall we meet and talk about it?” —Fatuma

DRC:

“I’d like to tell you that there were many things that I learned and which is too interesting for me, such as women’s rights and DRC constitution; I didn’t know that a woman can speak in front of many people, that she has the right of being educated as a man.” —Jeanne

From a sponsor:

“I am so happy to get your letter…. I am ashamed that I did not send you letters. In the past month I have had some troubles—I lost my job and I had to move away from the town where I lived, and away from my family…. I thought of you many times when I was afraid and lonely. I thought: Noella has troubles too, and she has the courage to face them. I can do the same. So you have helped me, even though you are far away and we have never met.” —Nichelle

Rwanda: “Without your support, my life would be useless!”

Following are two letters from Eugenie in Rwanda:

My dear Sponsor Sister,

I greet you with much love and I wish you a prosperous New Year. I hope that all goes well with you and that the lord is blessing you today. I never enjoyed Christmas holidays because I was sick in bed, but I am getting better now. I am on HIV/AIDS medication and I have to eat proper meals and have enough rest. I sell small things in the market and the little money I get helps me to buy food for my children…I would be dead by now if I did not have someone like you who cares for me. I hope that we are able to continue with our friendship. Without your support, my life would be useless! May God shower blessing upon you and your dear ones!

Love, Eugenie

To My Sponsor Sandra,

I am glad to get this opportunity and converse with you again. The whole twelve months we spent together I shan’t forget you because I have many remembrance things at home. The main one is that I became civilized. I got ways of living well depending on myself. I have developed mentally, thoughtfully and in planning of everything. I’m able to develop my family and country in general. Briefly I got out [of] poverty and loneliness. I know much tactics to make money. We end this year and I really appreciate. Now I have an account and I’ll keep saving money because I want to develop my family. Greetings from my family…. I end by thanking you and wishing you peace from God.

Thank you!