Dedication and Dreams

Mary Nyangoma wakes up every morning with a smile and determination as she walks through the city of Kigali to her job at the Nyamirambo Women’s Center located in Downtown Kigali. Her passion is to provide education to women who lack resources, and wants to show others the legacy of the Nyamirambo Women's Center. Every morning at the Women’s Center starts with a tour in a room full of books that range from different languages, including Kinyarwanda, French, and English. Guests sit in wooden chairs as she stands in the center of the room and talks about the history and importance of the Women’s Center. 

The Kigali Women's Center was launched at the end of 2007 by 18 Rwandese women living in Kigali. They created a project that aimed to address gender-based violence, inequality, and discrimination. This movement led to providing many forms of education, such as sewing, hair braiding, and basic computer skills. Mary Nyangoma runs the Women’s Center and started as a volunteer, which led to her working at the center as a project coordinator. After her brief introduction, she then responds to emails. 

When she goes home, there is another side to Nyangoma that a lot of people don’t see. After work, she walks back home and enters a comfortable home with a range of greens, blues, and yellows. She enjoys cooking and making dishes for the people she loves and spends the rest of the night watching her favorite shows. She and her boyfriend are long distance, but they still maintain their love even on the days they are apart. Her eldest daughter lives in the United States and struggles to make ends meet, which is extremely hard for Mary, but showcases the strength she got from her mother. However, Nyangoma dreams of one day traveling to the United States to live her American dream.