Each year, HOPE celebrates clients who demonstrate HOPE’s values of perseverance, compassion, character, and creativity by announcing the Thurman Award. Established in honor of HOPE’s first CEO, the Thurman Award celebrates clients who have not only experienced change in their own lives but have also extended that transformation to others in their community. We’re excited to share the story of Savera, this year’s winner!
For years, Savera Mutuyemariya and her husband struggled to support their family. Like many people in the community of Kigabiro, Rwanda, they supported their family mostly through what they grew in their fields, making it difficult to consistently provide for their family’s needs.
“My life was very bad,” Savera remembers. “Getting food was very hard. I didn’t have a house. I had three kids, but I wasn’t able to pay for primary school fees.”
When Savera heard about Urwego Bank, HOPE’s microfinance bank in Rwanda, it sounded too good to be true. Surprised to hear that Urwego would work with women—something that many banks refused to do—Savera eagerly signed up. With her first loans, Savera began selling peanuts at market. “I started to realize I was capable,” she says. “I used to believe I couldn’t do much, but I came to realize I was quite capable.”
In the decade since her first loan, Savera has used her entrepreneurial spirit and loans from Urwego to expand into a number of different businesses. Employing 50 people in her community, she manages a supermarket, a hardware store, farming activity, a painting business, a carpentry business, and a group of rental properties.
As her family’s financial situation stabilized, Savera grew increasingly passionate about developing her community. Knowing what it’s like to be in need, Savera serves those around her in countless ways. She has adopted eight orphans, in addition to paying for school fees and health insurance for many of her neighbors and employees. She allows her employees to take food from her fields to support their families, and she built wells in her community so that her neighbors could have easy access to clean water. She shares freely of her business knowledge with her neighbors, teaching them to farm and raise cows.
“Through giving, I came to learn that blessings multiply,” Savera says. “I give with joy because I know God multiplies.” Passionate about her relationship with Christ, Savera also leads several families in Bible studies in her home each week.
Since her husband died several years ago, Savera has held fast to the belief that God is with her. “I gained a great relationship with God from my struggles of poverty,” she shares. “I learned how to lean on God with a little or a lot. My problems are no longer a challenge to me; I take them to Him.”
In the HOPE network, clients are growing closer to Christ, saving their own money, and employing their God-given skills to care for their families. Learn how God has gifted Gisele, Evelyn, Danilo, and Vladimir to provide for their families and strengthen their communities.
![Before Eveness Mulungu joined the Walusungu (“mercy”) savings group through our church partner in Malawi, she faced days where she and her family ate animal feed because they couldn’t afford human food. But that changed when she joined the savings group. Eveness used her first group loan of about $1.70 (U.S.) to start a business selling doughnuts and beans.
“By the end of my first cycle I made $140 (U.S.),” Eveness shared. “My life is no longer the same now; [I] was regarded as no one in the community. ... This was the first time in my life that I ever touched and owned big money like this!”
Pictured: Eveness, with her husband in front of their piggery—a third successful business that she operates.](https://blog.hopeinternational.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
A fine story and ministry that moves people beyond personal and family investment to “share with those around me” and in Christ’s name. These are Kingdom investments that HOPE International makes and I, for one, feel privileged to be a small part.
I am interested to join you but financial problem.I am still looking for a job. The day i will succeed i will assist some people. It is my petition to god.
This is incredibly moving and inspiring. God will continue to bless women and men like Severa and those at HOPE international who strive to enable people to live dignified lives through your Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all
Very touching story from Savera!Thank God for an organisation like Hope! I strongly believe that Envagelism minus giving to those in need is lacking in away.
I have always had this on the inside of me. Hope international helps she’d light on how best this can be done God truly bless you HOPE Team.
That is HOPE you are taking to the nations!,i live to be apart of your team.
This is amazing! I hope and pray that many other can rise above the daily struggles and utilize the opportunities before them.
Thank Hope International
That’s very amazing. Glad that those people especially women found Christ work which is Holy Land to me. Grateful for women to keep strong in Christ.
Proud of their experiences and their happiness forever.
Cooky
This is a very touching story,GOD bless to HOPE international for restoring hope of life in my country Rwanda.I pray that you may expand and reach many more souls as they grow closer to Christ and getting out the bondage of poverty.
God bless Hope International
I pray God many shall be able to give towards HOPE’s kingdom cause so that it is possible to reach at many areas as possible as i see that need is great. Many areas countries need this HOPE’S intervention like yesterday.
This is inspiring and exhorting. This is what I want to see happen in India. People earning with dignity, using their strengths and gifts to move forward in life and help others. Churches and organizations seem so focused on doing seminars that we actually don’t teach people to use their gifts to live and bless others in a godly way. you are showing the church leaders how to do this in an effective way.