The Story of Donata, a Woman on the Streets

Below is the first of three interviews that Desire collected for me while in Rwanda.  He went directly to the streets capturing stories from the very people that we are hoping to impact through I Will Stand International.  Some of the grammar has been changed so that it is more understandable.

I am going to share with you a story of a street woman and her 2 sons and 1 daughter.  She is going to tell us why she ended up on the street and what she thinks about her life.

It was Monday, May 14, 2012 at 8 o'clock.  I met a woman named MUKANDORI Donata who has 3 children and lives on the street.  It was difficult to interview her because she was afraid of losing money [from begging].  I asked her to share with me the story of her life.  She refused and said, "I can tell you my story if you give me money."  I had 300 RFW in my pocket that I gave to her, and she began telling me her story.

MUKANDORI Donata was married to HABARUREMA J. Claude.  She had two sons with J. Claude. (Currently, they are 12 and 8 years old) She began living on the street in 2008 after the death of her husband.  She began using her sons to ask people in the streets for money to feed her and her two boys.  I asked her about the difficulties of living in the street, and she told me that the police would catch them and put them in jail.  Also, men on the street would do some violence towards her like beat her and rape her.  Her daughter, now 3 years old, was a product of rape.

I asked her son how he felt about street life.  He told me that the street life is very bad because they did not have food to eat.

I asked the woman what vision she has for her life.  She told me that if she could get some support that she would become a business woman.

This woman went to the streets because she depended on her husband without income for her own life.  I would like to ask all women to work hard in order to get a good life, and they must try to create their own business without depending on someone else.

By: BIZIMANA Desire in Kigali, Rwanda

Please leave your comments below.  I have much to say and quite a bit of insight on this interview above, but I would love to hear your perspective on the interview above.