Mrs. Claudine Talon, First Lady of Benin, Tours the Urugo Women’s Opportunity Center
H.E. Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, the First Lady of Rwanda, and the First Lady Mrs. Claudine Talon of Benin, toured the Urugo Women’s Opportunity Center near Kayonza today. They wanted to see firsthand how the center is contributing to the social and economic development of marginalized women in the community.
Built and operated by Women for Women International (WfWI) with the generous funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies and others, the Urugo Women’s Opportunity Center provides a safe environment and dedicated facilities where women can learn, build new skills, and operate businesses that directly contribute to Rwanda’s economic growth.
“This is a high-level profile event for the Urugo Women’s Opportunity Center,” said Antoinette Uwimana, Country Director of Women for Women International, Rwanda. “It was an honor that she came to see what we are doing and perhaps to use our work as a model for what she could potentially do for the people of Benin.”
More than 90 graduates of WfWI’s training program for women lined the entrance to greet the first ladies, who were accompanied by Judith Kazayire, Governor of the Eastern Province, and Jean Claude Murenzi, Mayor of the Kayonza District. Mutima W’Urugop, a local musical group, played drums and sang songs in honor of the visitors.