Have A Cow

Meet Cyeza

Cyeza is a 47 year old widow who lives with her son Paul, who is 27 years old. During the Genocide, Cyeza lost her husband and some of her family members. Paul was only two years old, witnessing his father and many others being tortured. He feared he would be next. Because of the trauma Paul experienced during the Genocide, he became deaf and never learned to speak. He still struggles with the trauma.

This family lost everything they had during the Genocide, including several cows. Cyeza works on neighbor’s farms to get food for her family while Paul fishes on Lake Kivu, making about $1 a day. Cyeza doesn’t have a house and is living in a neighbor’s kitchen. As she ages, she notices her health is deteriorating.

Currently, her cow lives with a neighbor, sharing a cow shed. They take turns collecting cow grass for feeding. They also share the manure for their gardens. They are already benefiting from the cow because they sell some of the manure to nearby coffee farmers. 100 pounds of manure sells for $5, and they sell about 400 pounds every month.

When Cyeza was asked what it means to have a cow she explained, “I haven’t had milk for so long.” She feels blessed to have milk again after 25 years when they lost their family cows during the Genocide. The family explains that they have hope now because they have a cow to provide milk, manure and income for their family. They are thankful to Arise Rwanda.