In 2013 Tengeneza was living in Goma with her husband and 5 children, running a small shop on her own.  She was working hard to repay a debt for an emergency caesarean during the birth of her fifth child. In 2014, Tengeneza learned about Kisany and trained as an embroiderer, helping with a large order for Sisley.  This work helped pay off 40% of her debt.

Around the time she finished the Sisley embroidery project, Tengeneza and her family faced a personal tragedy that turned their lives upside down. Her husband was murdered in their home. The following month, Tengeneza gave birth to her sixth child and she soon found herself drowning in debt. In an effort to feed her 6 children, she quickly sold all the goods in the small shop. Tengeneza was left with no way to support her children. For 5 months her family struggled to support the widow and her children, but they couldn’t continue paying for food, school fees and rent.

In July 2016, Tengeneza’s friends at Kisany told her of a big project in progress, the “GIVE WORK” campaign. Each of Kisany’s GIVE WORK products represent one day of work for a woman in Congo. She visited Kisany’s head embroiderer, Espe, and asked for work to help support her family. Sensitive to her situation and eager to help,  Espe added Tengeneza to the GIVE WORK team and sent her home with a tea towel to embroider. This work came just in time – with her first paycheck she purchased 12 kilograms of flour and 10 measures of beans to feed her children. Unfortunately she was unable to pay school fees and her children had to stop going to school.

In August 2016, with her second paycheck from Kisany in her pocket, Tengeneza purchased a quantity of salted fish heads, which she resold around her neighborhood. With the proceeds of this business venture she bought more food and her children were able to eat 2 meals a day again.

From this point, she divided her time between embroidery and selling the goods she purchased.  Despite this small success, Tengeneza was heartbroken that she could not afford school fees for her children.   It looked like they would miss another year of school. Around the time of school enrolment, Kisany announced a new programme, funded by Sisley, to pay school fees for the children of Kisany workers.  Tengeneza applied and her children were accepted into the programme.  They enrolled immediately and are attending school today.

From the depths of sadness and hardship, Tengeneza has regained control of her life and, with the help of Kisany, is building a better future for her children.

“KISANY has done so much for me. I am grateful for the love and the solidarity of the team, the work sewing and embroidering. This has given me a solace and joy I didn’t know I could have after my husband’s death. I feel reborn. I have renewed hope and strength to fight for myself and my children.”

Tengeneza, Kisany embroiderer Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo