About Us

Who we are: IWE is a non-profit organization founded by Élise Rida on November 4th, 2014. IWE creates a space where genocide survivors, those suffering from HIV+/AIDS and vulnerable people, especially women, learn technical skills such as tailoring and handicrafts. These trainings create lasting opportunities for women and youth to lift their families out of poverty and to reduce domestic violence.

Elise Rida

Élise Rida

Message from the Founder

Élise Rida is author of the book “Le Livre d’Elise” published in 2014, in Paris, France with Les Belles Lettres.

She is founder of Isano Women and Youth Empowerment.

Élise: “Since I became an orphan at an early age, the great thing that has affected me a lot is hunger. Today I fight for a secure future, a future where people do not go to bed hungry. Thinking of the future at that time, it seemed like a utopia. How can a person who cannot find food dream of a better future? Despite hunger, I did not give up. Today I am reassured. I have no worries to find something to eat. The Isano Women and Youth Empowerment project represents to me the act of gratitude to those who helped me and it is to give back to my community. I hate hunger. This project will help women, children and young people to be able to find food themselves. I know that these people cannot have dreams for the future easily; the project can contribute a little bit to help them find and realize their dreams.”

Meet our Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries of IWE Beneficiaries of IWE Beneficiaries of IWE

Our Objectives

  • Socio-Economic Empowerment for fighting poverty
  • Technical and Vocational Skills Training
  • Protection of environment, Promote peace, culture & education by Reading & Writing
  • Educate and empower Adult, Youth, children Education

Technical & Vocational Training Program

We empower women and youth through vocational and technical training as well as mentoring. However, we continue to have challenges. For instance, after they received training in sewing, a large number of our beneficiaries were not able to buy their own sewing machines. IWE hopes to give sewing machines to those who are unable to buy them.