Meet the Artisan: Francine
Francine learned early that survival requires endurance. For years she carried the weight of providing for a large family with very little support and even fewer options. What keeps her moving forward today is not just survival. It is the steady work she has built with her own two hands.
She arrived in the city at seventeen, having left her village in search of work. School fees were never something her family could afford, and her home life was unstable, so she missed classes often and eventually dropped out in second grade. With little education and no resources, her options were limited from the start.
In the city, Francine hoped to start a small business, but she lacked the capital to begin. She turned to domestic work instead, cleaning and helping in people's homes. The work was inconsistent, and eventually it disappeared altogether. Without income, without support, she felt the walls close in. During this period, she met a man who offered small amounts of money in exchange for sex. What began as a means of survival became nearly a decade of sex work.
By then Francine had one child and was living with a man she was not married to. He was mentally unstable, though she didn't recognize it at first. Over the years they had more children together, until eight were part of the household. Six are hers, two belong to another woman. Francine has never let anyone draw a line between them. They are all hers.
Caring for such a large family full time meant she could no longer earn money on the streets. Her partner would come home after drinking, violent, demanding food he hadn't paid for. Seeking some measure of control over her own life, Francine tried contraceptives. They failed. She gave birth to twins.
Even in the middle of that instability, she never let go of the idea of running a legitimate business. She began selling vegetables as a street vendor, work that is technically illegal in Rwanda, which meant constant harassment from authorities and the steady risk of losing everything she'd built.
In 2015, Francine joined DuHope.
She started with very little capital and an unstable business. What she brought instead was determination. Through DuHope's training and support, she stabilized her income, kept her children in school, and for the first time in her life, found a safe and dignified way to provide for her family.
"Having a safe way to provide for my family changed everything."
As her reliability became clear, DuHope began working with Francine as a supplier. Each week she received funds to purchase food provisions for the organization and delivered them days later. The arrangement let her grow her own shop at the same time. She reinvested carefully, managed her money with discipline, and built consistency one week at a time.
Local authorities who once saw a street vendor came to know a working woman, connected to DuHope, responsible for a large household. When they learned about her husband's illness and history of violence, community leaders began stepping in with support when it was needed.
"I always wanted to run my own business. Now, I am doing it."
Francine has since been recognized by her community for her resilience. On National Thanksgiving Day, she was honored for her perseverance and given 25,000 RWF toward food and household necessities, a public affirmation of everything she had worked to build.
Today she runs her business with care and discipline. She doesn't drink. She's intentional about every franc she spends. She dreams of a larger vegetable shop in Kigali one day. Above all, she wants her children to finish school and live a life better than the one she was given.
"Ten years ago, I was only trying to survive. Today, I can pay school fees, rent, and food for my family."
Ten years on, Francine's story is one of endurance, responsibility, and quiet strength. A woman who refused to give up on her family, even when the odds were stacked against her.
Stories like Francine's are possible because people show up for her, month after month. Hope Builders are the steady, monthly support that gives women like Francine the room to build something lasting.