HABOGORIMANA Mathilde, is a courageous woman and a proud beneficiary of the ITOTO Project, implemented by RGW and supported by the Kanyosha incubator.
I was born in Karusi and am a mother of three, carried deep wounds from abandonment and failed relationships. Her story echoes that of the Samaritan Woman, marked by pain but redeemed by grace.
I have lived a very difficult life. At my lowest, I felt like God had abandoned me, but now I know I was still under His mercy.
My first marriage failed, and then my second relationship collapsed as well. This man provided nothing for me, and I was left to fend for my two children alone. I had to scavenge for charcoal, plastic bottles, and bones just to survive. I struggled to afford food and rent, yet, in the midst of it all, God showed up, we never went to bed hungry.
When my second child was just 14 months old, I gave birth to my third. But when I returned home from the hospital, my partner had abandoned us. The weight of it all crushed me. I had no time to rest or recover because I had to provide for my children. In my pain, I turned to alcohol, thinking it would ease my suffering, but it only made things worse.
I became irritable, so much so that even hearing my children call me ‘Mama’ would trigger my anger, leading to beatings. My firstborn was traumatized. I neglected myself completely, not even washing my clothes. Every little money I got went to alcohol, and my poverty deepened. I reached the point where I didn’t even own slippers and walked barefoot. The burden of my struggles was so overwhelming that I felt like I was losing my mind. I had insomnia, worsened by my youngest child’s illness, his belly button wouldn’t heal.
It was in this misery that I found RGW. From the moment I was enrolled, I knew it was God’s doing.
A Turning Point:
On my first day, they asked us to pray for the sick. I had left my middle child at home sick, and I had brought my youngest, who was also unwell. As they prayed, both of them were miraculously healed, even the one at home! I was amazed!
The first training was about temperaments, and I started seeing myself in a new light, though my problems still consumed me. But I kept attending. With each session, my life was being transformed. I applied what I learned, and I saw tremendous results. My relationship with my children is being restored, and I can now see the pain I had caused my firstborn.
I take care of myself now: I shower, wear clean clothes, and my mind is becoming clearer. RGW’s prayers have been powerful in my life. They taught me how to trust God. One day, my eyes were opened to my own needs: I realized I didn’t even have shoes. I prayed, and God answered. A young man approached me and asked why I walked barefoot. When I explained, he gave me money to buy shoes.
I am deeply grateful to RGW. They care for us, lifting us up in prayer. Today, I have gained respect in my community. I am no longer the abandoned, alcoholic woman they once knew. People see the change in me: I no longer turn to alcohol for comfort.
To anyone feeling hopeless, I want to tell you: God is able to work miracles in your life.
RGW, thank you for your incredible work!
