Denise Ncutinamagara, a devoted mother of seven and proud member of the IMFURA Incubator, shares her powerful journey of healing, empowerment, and renewed purpose through the life-changing ITOTO Project.
“Two years ago, I became a widow with 7 children, and I was completely disoriented due to the loss of my husband. He was the one who cherished me and took care of everything so that I didn’t have to worry about anything, especially financial matters. Although we weren’t wealthy, we had love, and that made it possible for us to share whatever we had equally. His death left me in a terrible state. I lost my focus and would walk without knowing where I was going. I couldn’t even recognize my friends when they crossed my path. I suffered from constant headaches and lived in despair. Our living conditions changed drastically; we barely had enough to eat.
When it came to my children’s schooling, I didn’t know what to do. I had no school supplies or uniforms, and one of my children even had to drop out of school because the school kept sending my children home due to unpaid fees.
All these problems made me anxious, depressed, and full of anger. At the slightest provocation, I was ready to argue. If anyone disturbed me, I would shout at them, even though sometimes it was my fault. Honestly, I became a bundle of nerves. Unfortunately, my eldest daughter, who is 16, adopted the same behavior. She would get angry at the smallest mistake. I also suffered from constant back pain and was always exhausted.”
“When I arrived at RGW, I first found a family. I met other women who were facing different struggles, and I no longer felt alone. I found so much comfort in this community, as RGW welcomed us like a mother welcomes her children.
At RGW, I learned that dwelling too much on our problems can lead to health issues, like vision problems. This motivated me to stop allowing these despairing thoughts to take over. The greatest remedy I found was the God’s word, which brought me comfort, and we prayed a lot for one another.
The icing on the cake came when, during the back-to-school period, we were given school supplies right when we needed them most, I could even send back to school my kid who had dropped out. At RGW, we were taught the value of education, and I am glad my kids were given the opportunity to gain knowledge. My prayers were answered, and my negative thoughts gradually began to fade.
Recently, RGW provided me with a capital of 50,000 Burundian francs, which I urgently needed to start a maize business. This helped me pay off a month from my overdue rent.”
“I hope that these teachings will also reach children like my daughter, who suffer in silence. I would like us to receive a substantial capital so that we can achieve financial stability, enabling us to meet all our families’ essential needs and offer them a better future.”
