Blindness is considered an obstacle in many societies. However, Rwandan Peninnah Niyobyose, 32, has shown the world that being visually impaired does not mean you cannot be a successful entrepreneur.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) to mark Disability Week, observed from May 10-16, Niyobyose said living a life dependent on her family was killing her until she decided to join the Masaka Resource Center for the Blind (MRCB) in 2019.
In western Rwanda, a resident of the Rusizi district, Niyobyose was blind at birth. From being dependent on her family and friends, she has evolved into a successful entrepreneur, becoming independent and supporting the education of her younger sisters.
"I learned about the training center from a friend with visual impairment who had completed training there. He visited me at home and shared testimonies about how the center had changed his life. This offered me a glimpse that my life could also change one day," she said.
The center helped her start farming livestock on a small scale, from which she got manure to grow vegetables.
She planted cabbages and carrots, using the goats' manure to fertilize the garden. With the income from vegetables, she was able to expand her livestock farming.
After earning enough money, she soon started a tailoring course at Ubumwe Training Centre in western Rwanda’s Rubavu district.
Within days, she got a contract to sew school uniforms. She now looks to expand and get more customers after relocating her business to the capital Kigali.
"I have my own business. I share rental space with three other tailors. My life has changed thanks to knitting, I work for individuals and businesses with sewing contracts," she said.
Niyobyose can produce at least four T-shirts per day, charging between 4,000 and 5,500 Rwandan francs each (about $5).
She has acquired a plot of land worth 600,000 Rwandan francs (about $600).
"Besides providing for my daily needs, I pay school fees for my young sister who is in secondary school. The most important thing is that I live on my own, unlike previously when I was considered a dependent," she said.
Marie Leontine Mukamisha, another female entrepreneur who was trained in tailoring by Niyobyose in Kigali, said she learned a lot from her.
"She is a good trainer and so friendly, the tailoring skills she taught me enabled me to set up a sewing business," she said.
The Rwanda Union of the Blind has been helping visually impaired people in the East African country build independent lives and realize their potential through an initiative called the Dream Project.
"With funding from donors, the project empowers visually impaired individuals through rehabilitation and provision of skills to them," according to Donatile Kanimba, RUB’s executive director.