A Legacy of Generosity | Patrick and Aisha’s Story

RWANDA – In 2010, Patrick and Aisha Rukundo took their first loan from Urwego Finance, HOPE’s microfinance institution (MFI) in Rwanda. They joined a loan group and received $100 to invest in a small shop started by Aisha; this started their legacy of generosity. At the time, though Patrick was a Christian, Aisha was Muslim.

NEW FAITH IN CHRIST

“I thought nothing would change my religion,” Aisha shared, “even my husband’s requests for me to become a Christian. But I would still refuse. From the time I joined Urwego’s group lending…my life has never been the same.” Aisha shared that she became a born-again Christian through the financial literacy trainings she received at her group loan meetings. “God used Urwego Bank to transform our lives. It is my first time to see a bank lending money to people and praying over the loan and their clients.”

A GROWING BUSINESS

Over the past 14 years, Patrick and Aisha received and repaid many loans with Urwego. They graduated from group lending to individual lending and now qualify to receive small-and-medium enterprise loans. True entrepreneurs, the couple now runs three large shops.

INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION

“Our family has expanded, we joined Urwego with two children but now we have six!” Aisha shared. Patrick and Aisha adopted three children whose parents passed away. In 2019, they began to receive housing loans from Urwego to purchase land and later build a home for their family. “All the children study in good schools. We thank God for that because our family changed significantly.”

Now, the Rukundos are training their children in the family business. Patrick shared, “We have created an opportunity for our children to be business-minded entrepreneurs. They have mastered the art of business and we are sure they will soon start up their own businesses.” The couple is also planning to launch an initiative to help younger people interested in starting a business.

FAITH IN ACTION

The Rukundos are building a legacy of generosity. “As the Rukundo family, we have a group of people we support including people in need, children living with mental disabilities, orphans, and people hospitalized,” Patrick shared. They used some of their savings to construct a tarmac road in their community and they pay for health insurance for 40-50 underserved families in their community. They also committed to build a house for a family in their church and share, “We glorify God that He fulfilled our promise.”