I want to tell you about Nzabonepa, a disabled refugee lady who lives in a wheelchair.
Nzabonepa is an incredibly passionate and inspiring lady. Despite her challenges, she supports her family and brings a ray of hope to many others. Her husband helps her get to the center, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have any work. Nzabonepa lost her two daughters in the camp, which was extremely traumatic for her. I met her in 2018 during the funeral of her last daughter. She was there, without her legs, with her husband, and despite the pain, she showed incredible strength.
I discovered that Nzabonepa had tailoring skills. We started working together, initially sewing by hand, but soon we managed to get some machines. Since then, Nzabonepa has been an active and dedicated member of our community. She comes to the center every morning and stays until the evening. She’s always punctual, unlike some others who arrive late. Nzabonepa is always the first one at the machine, training others with a passion that is truly inspiring.
Given her skills and dedication, she deserves much more than the small facilitation she receives from the center. Her heart is set on helping more girls and showing people living with disabilities that they too can contribute meaningfully. She wants to break the stereotype that they should just wait for help or beg for money. Nzabonepa is living proof that with determination, anyone can make a difference.
I believe Zabonepa came to Kyaka II around 2015. I’ll verify the exact year for you. We continue to work hard, raising awareness and engaging the community to address these issues. Gender-based violence is a significant problem that needs to stop. Despite limited resources, we are dedicated to supporting refugee women and girls through training and workshops. Our goal is to empower them, promote self-reliance, and ultimately end gender-based violence.
Feel free to reach out if you need more information about Nzabonepa or our efforts. Thank you for your understanding and support.
