Claudine Ingabire, 33, is a mother of four children. Her eldest is in primary four, while the youngest attends nursery school. Claudine is married to Innocent Ntawugayumugabo, 38, and the couple has been together for 13 years. They live in Mbati Cell, Mugina Sector, Kamonyi District.

My name is Yvonna Nyiraminani, and I am 61 years old, living in Cyeza Sector of Muhanga District. During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, I faced an experience that left deep wounds in my heart. As killings were happening, a man confronted me, asking, “Where is your husband?” I told him I didn’t know. He kept pressing me for an answer, but I repeated the same. Finally, he threatened me, saying, “I cut you, open your womb to separate you from that pregnant Inkotanyi [Tutsi].”

For years, Grace Uwamahoro, a mother of five from Cyeza Sector in Muhanga District, endured constant conflict in her marriage. Though she and her husband, Jean Paul Kamali, had lived together for 20 years, their home was filled with quarrels, poverty, and tension. At her lowest point, Grace felt separation was the only way forward.

Ayiki Jean Felix was 9 years old when the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi erupted in his area. He was young, but a target. His home was raided, and as fear surged through his body before he escaped with his aunt, he looked at the men attacking his home and his family and recognized them. It was the Interahamwe militia and his neighbors. There was one old man in particular whose face was seared vividly into his mind. That man was Kalasira Papias. 

The Empower Workshop is a seven-day, monthly program focused on trauma healing, biblical teachings, counseling, and intra-family communication. It equips couples with practical tools to rebuild trust, foster empathy, and set collective goals.