American actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie has praised the resilience of women survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, following a visit to a farming cooperative in Gikomero Sector, Gasabo District.
Jolie shared her reflections in a social media post accompanied by photos from her visit to the Imboni cooperative. “I recently visited the Imboni cooperative, a farm in Gikomero, Rwanda, run collectively by the women who work the land, and left deeply inspired by everyone I met there,” she wrote.
“Many are survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, which killed up to a million people and left so many women to rebuild alone,” she said, adding that for years the women had no choice but to farm rented swampland to feed their families, earning less than a dollar a day, with heavy rain often wiping out entire crops.”
Jolie said she has partnered with photographer Giles Duley and his organization, the Legacy of War Foundation, working alongside the women for the past five years. “The foundation buys fertile farmland and returns it to survivors of conflict, supporting them to become profitable, climate-smart farmers,” she said.
“These women have taken this land and built something incredible,” Jolie said. “In five years, they’ve gone from laborers to landowners, increasing their income fivefold and sending over 90 of their children back to school.”
She closed her message reflecting on the visit: “It was a deeply meaningful visit, and we’re grateful for the time they spent with us. It was a strong reminder that local leadership is always the best way forward.”
Jolie is among the world’s most prominent film stars and is also widely known for her advocacy on behalf of displaced people, having served for 20 years as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency.
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