When she sits at her sewing machine, Lydwine keeps her back straight, lowering her head just enough to follow with her eyes the needle that quickly enters and exits the fabric. Lydwine’s many fabrics are a hymn to life with their bright colors . African fabrics are like that: bright patterns that communicate strong emotions. She keeps them all behind her shoulders while she works, ready to be used.
A means to independence
These fabrics are a means of sustenance, they are the tools of the art of sewing; in essence they are the vehicle through which Lydwine, this proud thirty-year-old woman who lives in Burundi, puts her talent into practice and acquires a little bit of independence and autonomy every day. Because being a woman in Burundi – an extremely poor African country – means living in vulnerable conditions. And yet, Lydwine has managed to become a small entrepreneur by taking a simple step : joining one of the savings and credit groups supported by AMU and the local partner CASOBU through the project Si può fare! .
Lydwine’s Dream and Meeting It Can Be Done!
Lydwine is the eldest of six siblings. After finishing secondary school she trained as a seamstress, but the search for a job proved long and tiring. Sewing clothes was what she wanted to do, so she didn’t give up .
With the help of her parents, she managed to open a sewing workshop together with some friends.
This initial success was, however, overshadowed by her lack of real expertise in financial management. Lydwine, in fact, knew very well how to operate the sewing machine, but did not know as well how to manage income and expenses.
The turning point was the encounter with the project Si può fare!: through community microcredit, families in urban and rural areas of five provinces of Burundi are supported in starting and managing small income-generating activities .
Participants gather in groups that self-finance by collecting their own savings in a common fund in such a way as to grant individual members small credits repayable in minimal installments.
Learn to save and grow
Lydwine says: “Thanks to a friend, I joined the Dushigikiribondo group , which allowed me to better understand how to save and manage my income. By working with others, I was able to refer to the experiences of my colleagues to improve my financial management. The microloans obtained from the group allowed me to purchase the materials necessary for my work and to further develop my business.”
Today the woman can count on a monthly income, she has learned to save part of this income and reinvest it and has diversified her activities: in addition to the sewing laboratory she has rented fields to grow different products, thus ensuring an additional income.
How does Lydwine spend this money? She contributes to the education of her brothers and sisters , aware of how important it is to invest in their future. At the same time, however, she does not give up a dream of her own: “I would like a house of my own.”
