Speciose and her family are survivors of the1994 Rwandan genocide and are currently living on the outskirts of Kigali, Rwanda. Since joining Same Sky in 2008, Speciose has earned an income that allows her to provide food, healthcare, and school uniforms to her three children. She says, “before making bracelets, I felt tired and looked sick.” Speciose was raped repeatedly during the genocide and contracted HIV—but she's a survivor. She now feels healthy, is more social, confident, and secure with her future. Working in a collective provides support, as she can communicate with other women living with HIV. Speciose has also opened a savings account since becoming a Same Sky artisan and is planning to build a bigger house.

She's also installed electricity in her home—a huge accomplishment, considering that only 6% of Rwandans had electricity in 2008. Speciose has also bought a goat to provide nutrition for her family and herself. Her children are succeeding in school, and she's has gained some weight and vitality.

Speciose’s message to customers:

“To my parent Francine and the Same Sky team—I hope you all are doing well and I thank God for your invaluable support. I send greetings to all clients of Same Sky.”

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My name is IRAGENA NIRERE Beatrice. I`m 19 years old. I`m a same sky scholar United Arab Emirates University. I’m in second year of study studying Bachelors of Science in environmental science and conservation.

I am truly thankful for the gift of scholarship from same sky foundation to study at FAWE School, I had dropped out of the school because of school fees. The same sky contribution has helped me and my family significantly. In a society where it is easy to lose sight of education as a blessing and a gift, I would like you to know that I am thankful for every opportunity this scholarship has given me to grow, not only as a student but, as an individual. Thank you for investing in my future and for seeing the potential of impoverished girls in Rwanda.

Same sky foundation provides us young girls from Rwanda a platform, for us to pursue careers that we want to be invested in, with full assistance starting from our program mentor at FAWE (Teacher Tonny) who is always encouraging us to work hard, and monitoring our progress in every step of academics.

Having spent the two years at the university of United Arab Emirates, I have witnessed a tremendous change in my life may it be on the academic front or even on a personal level. The university provides an ideal platform for growth and improvement leading to the formation of bright young individuals determined to make an impact in the coming future. I have developed critical thinking, research and communication skills through a number of conservation science projects I have been involved in. After my students, I will return to Rwanda with a lot of knowledge and expertise that I will share with my communities to conserve the environment and continue to fight the climate change problems.

Your philanthropy has expanded the opportunities available to enhance the lives of the next generation. This support makes secondary and higher education possible for impoverished girls like me and with that expect many success stories and positive impacts to the communities from same sky scholars.

I want to thank you for your generous gift that made my education attainable. Through your support, I have accomplished much of what I never thought possible especially attaining college education and in a great university outside Rwanda. I am proud to say I had worked hard to be where I am, but I certainly could not have done it without your help. I am forever grateful for same sky foundation.

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Solina is a survivor. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide left her homeless and forced to beg for food. In 2008, Same Sky recruited her and provided Solina with employment for a sustainable income—one that is substantially more than the average Sub-Saharan wage. Solina now has a home, what she calls “peace of mind” about the future, and is able to support her family of four. Solina’s health and immunity have also drastically improved.

Since working at Same Sky, Solina has purchased a small piece of land where she grows her own vegetables, a cow that provides her family with milk, and she is currently saving up to buy her own home.

Solina’s message to customers:

“I thank all the clients that buy the bracelets. I also thank them for keeping us close at heart as they write to us. This makes me very happy.”

My name is MUTESI Joyce, 23 years old. I’m a 3rd year university same sky Scholar at University of Rwanda, college of Agriculture, Animal sciences and Veterinary medicine ( School of Agriculture, rural development and agricultural economics). I’m in a crop science department studying crop science and forestry.

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I’m so grateful for the support and chance given to me by the same sky foundation. Same sky foundation is a godsend for me in many ways. I had dropped out of high school at FAWE in 2015 because my parents could not afford to pay the school fees for me and I had no hope of getting sponsorship. My parents are peasant farmers and have a lot of children to take care of. I had absolutely no idea how I could graduate from my high school and study in a University and achieve my dream of being an agriculturalist specializing in crop science. I didn't know how I could achieve my education dream and get any kind of condensed, comprehensive agricultural knowledge, or what being a crop scientist would actually be like given my little hope of achieving college education. When I was accepted into this scholarship program, it felt like the door to my future opened and I worked hard to achieve highly academically.

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At the university I have been excelling in academics students with current with annual marks percentage Average (MPA) of 70.8% and striving higher to achieve 80% so that I can graduate with a first class next year.

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Studying at the University with a same sky scholarship has been invaluable to me and offered many lessons, skills, a pathway, and a community that has helped me to define, understand, and focus my goal to become a leader and scientist. Currently I’m a student leader at the university and carry my leadership experience to my community in advocating for women rights and girl empowerment and also transfer my agricultural knowledge and experts to farmers to help them in food production. Thank you same sky foundation and I encourage you to continue supporting more impoverished girls in Rwanda to achieve their education dreams.

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Brigitte may be among Same Sky’s youngest employees, but she has great talent in crafting handmade jewelry. We have been overjoyed to watch Brigitte’s life transform since she began as a Same Sky Artisan in 2008.

In 1996, Brigitte had just found out that she was diagnosed HIV+ and was experiencing debilitating migraines from an intense head injury she received during the Rwandan Genocide. When we met Brigitte, she was living as an orphan. She had no family and no siblings. She had survived rape, borne children from it, and had difficulty nurturing them in the way they needed— she had no means to provide for them, and struggled daily with finding her purpose as she reconciled the horrors of the genocide.

Same Sky began employing Brigitte in 2008, and she has since told us that she feels employment gives her reason to live. She can provide for her children, has a new life and family, and her health has drastically improved. Brigitte now has health insurance, is able to visit the doctor regularly, and no longer gets headaches. She recently moved out of public housing, bought her own house, and can afford electricity, a true accomplishment. She is proud— strengthened by her independence and ability to care for her family.

Brigitte has recently updated us that her home now has water and windows, and her two children have been able to attend secondary school because she can afford to buy them school uniforms and supplies.

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Clementine is an original member of Same Sky’s inaugural project in Kigali, Rwanda, where she started crocheting handmade jewelry in 2008. Before working for Same Sky, Clementine was repeatedly hit with adversity as she struggled to rebuild her life after the Rwandan Genocide. Clementine and her child were very ill, and she had lost her husband during the war. Even though she was given free HIV treatment, she could not afford the hot food needed to take the medicine.

Today, Clementine is able to pay for her family’s health insurance, her rent, and cover school expenses for her brother as he completes his secondary education—and in recent developments her own schooling! She has the means and stability to support her child and her health has drastically improved—in part, as she tells us, because she's happier. She has opened up a bank account, has savings, and is building a future for her family. Respected in her community and known for her hard work, Clementine feels uplifted and secure since she began crocheting bracelets. We recently received news that her white blood cell count has gone up, yet again!

Clementine’s message to customers:

“I thank them for wearing the SAME SKY bracelet. I pray for them. When they succeed, I succeed.”

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