Artisan Spotlight: Betty

Betty grew up in a loving home with her brother. Her parents provided all of their needs. When her dad passed away, she moved in with her brother. Later she gave birth and found herself as a single mom. The father of the child agreed to support her for some time, but they had an argument over which school he should attend. Betty wanted to find a better school to support her son’s needs, but the father disagreed and stopped supporting his son and has severed all ties with Betty.

With encouragement from her mom and other relatives, Betty had decided to drop out of school to start working. She ended up in Kigali, unemployed, and desperately looking for work. Her brother ended up dropping out of school and landed in jail for drugs. Their father is a very educated man and encouraged his kids to stay in school, a decision Betty wishes she would’ve listened to. Her personal regrets have driven her commitment to her son having the best education. 

Betty used to work in a guest house before coming to DuHope. She came with a friend, who is no longer in the program. She believes in staying committed to DuHope because she believes it is part of God's plan for her life. Working at DuHope has been really helpful because she is now able to financially support herself and her son. She is focused on working very hard in the DuHope English classes to continue growing her education. She absolutely loves to learn. 

Through counseling, she is now in a position to provide advice to others including her mom, friends, and some other women from DuHope who she is close to. She believes she has become a better parent and has matured so much during her time. Her goal is to raise her son to be a good man. When she goes through tough seasons, she experiences hurt, but she doesn’t allow herself to stay in those seasons of pain. She now has the confidence to reach out to people for help, including the DuHope counselor.

She wants to continue to grow in her relationship with the DuHope Artisans. Building relationships is a tough journey, but she is confident she will reach it one day.