Sometimes the best ideas – moments of genius – come when you least expect them. For Marie it came on a building site in Kigali, Rwanda.
Marie’s husband died in 2007 and hard labour was her only choice to provide for her children. For many years she toiled, shifting bricks until her hands were red raw – sometimes so sore she couldn’t work. But despite her efforts, Marie’s six young children still went hungry.
‘When I lost my husband, I was shocked and felt hopeless,’ she says. ‘I’d never had a job before – I relied on his income. I feared it was going to be the end of my life.’
Bag to the future
Her lifeline came when she looked around the building site, and noticed something for the first time. Marie started thinking about the thick rubble sacks. They were strong, made of woven material that kept its strength even when the sacks were no longer needed. Marie thought about how they could be used again...
