Peter’s Story – Overcoming Disability

After a severe case of measles left him blind at age 8, Peter felt he had limited options for his future. In a culture where blindness is highly stigmatized, many blind people live like beggars.

To support their three children, Peter and his wife, who also lost her sight to measles as a child, decided to start a business building rental properties. Every bank turned him away, prejudiced against his disability. But after he learned of Urwego Bank, HOPE’s microfinance institution in Rwanda, Peter received a loan and started his business in 2013.

In the five years since his business launched, it has grown to include 25 rental properties. Passionate about empowering others, Peter has also launched a cycling cooperative to employ young people who are hired to transport goods on bicycles. Since the cooperative’s launch in 2016, it has grown to include 150 employs.

With their family’s increased income, Peter can now afford to send his children to school. He was even able to support his wife through college to study special education. For other families in their community with disabilities, Peter and his family are an inspiring example of overcoming stigma with patience, courage, and diligence.

“Who I am and what I have is because of God,” Peter says. “The fact that I am blind, but God gives me ideas and designs on how to construct my houses, gives me strong reverence for Him.”