The woman who grew more than just food

Some people are born leaders, even if they never step into an office or wear a suit. One of those people is Vestine Mukamana, a soft-spoken woman from a small village just outside of Huye.

Vestine didn’t go to university. She didn’t even finish secondary school. But today, she’s teaching other women in her community how to farm, save money, and believe in themselves.

She started with a tiny garden behind her house just cabbage and beans. At first, it was just about survival. But slowly, as she learned more about how to rotate crops and make her own compost, her garden began to grow. And with it, so did her confidence.

The turning point came when she decided not to keep her knowledge to herself.

Vestine began inviting other women especially widows, young mothers, and girls who had dropped out of school to learn with her. Every Wednesday, they gather at her place. Some come with babies on their backs, others with notebooks and big dreams. She shows them how to plant, how to harvest, and how to sell at the market without being cheated.

But she teaches more than farming. She teaches hope.

She also started a simple savings group. Every woman contributes 1,000 francs a week. With that, some have bought goats, others have started small gardens of their own. One woman was even able to send her daughter back to school.

Vestine’s dream is to build a greenhouse. She says if she can grow year-round, she’ll train even more girls especially those who think they have no future just because they don’t have a degree.

When you ask her why she does all this, her answer is simple:

“Because someone believed in me once. Now it’s my turn to believe in others.”

Written by :Aline Niyigena