Empowering people with disabilities in Rwanda
08-01-2025Dukomezubuzima Cooperative, located in Shingiro Sector, Musanze District, is a shining example of resilience and determination in facing difficult challenges. Established in 2014, the cooperative brings together youth, women, and people with disabilities under a common goal: improving their lives through agriculture. Today, the cooperative has 320 members—70 men and 250 women—of whom 220 are living with disabilities, with 180 being youth. Their story is one of transformation, inspired by the guidance and support they received from Agriterra.
In 2023, they partnered with Agriterra under the Imbaraga Farmers Organization, transforming their farming practices. Before this, they struggled with disorganised fields and mixed cropping, limiting their yields. Through Agriterra’s training, they adopted single-crop farming, crop rotation, and sustainable practices, leading to improved productivity. Sinzabaheza Jean Damascene, the 45-year-old president of the cooperative with visual disability, credits Agriterra for their newfound organisation and success. He recalls how things used to be. “We were working hard, but our efforts were scattered. Once we started working with Agriterra, everything changed. We became more organised, and our productivity improved dramatically,” he said.
Sinzabaheza with his team of employees
Before the training, Sinzabaheza was harvesting around 6 tonnes of potatoes per hectare. Today, he’s harvesting an impressive 20 tonnes per hectare. This remarkable improvement has given him the confidence to expand his business even further. He has started producing compost, which he sells at 50,000 Rwf per bunch. The income from this venture has enabled him to diversify his farming activities, including growing wheat, which he now sells to Rwanda's largest brewing company, Bralirwa.
Sinzabaheza proudly showcasing the compost he has produced
To finance this expansion, Sinzabaheza requested a loan of 2,000,000 Rwf from Zigama CSS, a microfinance institution. The loan allowed him to increase his productivity and explore new opportunities. "Agriterra taught us how to work smarter, and the results are clear. We’ve grown stronger as a cooperative and as individuals," Sinzabaheza shared.
Beyond farming, Dukomezubuzima Cooperative has diversified into other income-generating activities. They established an Irembo agency, which helps the local community access government services online, and launched a tailoring service and carpentry workshop.
The Dukomezubuzima Cooperative's facility for tailoring and Irembo services
These initiatives create jobs, particularly for cooperative members with disabilities, who often face barriers to employment. “We wanted to ensure that even when the harvest season is over, our members especially those with disabilities can still earn a living,” said Sinzabaheza.
Challenges
Despite their progress, the cooperative still faces challenges. Access to finance remains a significant challenge, as does the need for more training. Only about 5% of the members have received training from Agriterra and disseminating that knowledge to the rest of the cooperative is difficult. However, they remain optimistic about the future. They envision a time when they will have universal access to finance, skills, and markets, enabling them to further expand their business. Their goal is to venture into potato seed multiplication and increase the cooperative’s impact on the local economy.
“We have come a long way, but there is still more to do. With the right support, we believe we can grow even stronger,” Sinzabaheza emphasized. Their journey is a testament to the resilience of people with disabilities, showing that with the right opportunities and support, they can thrive and lead meaningful change in their communities.
