Clementine
Clementine is an original member of Same Sky’s inaugural project in Kigali, Rwanda, where she started crocheting handmade jewelry in 2008. Before working for Same Sky, Clementine was repeatedly hit with adversity as she struggled to rebuild her life after the Rwandan Genocide. Clementine and her child were very ill, and she had lost her husband during the war. Even though she was given free HIV treatment, she could not afford the hot food needed to take the medicine.
Today, Clementine is able to pay for her family’s health insurance, her rent, and cover school expenses for her brother as he completes his secondary education—and in recent developments her own schooling! She has the means and stability to support her child and her health has drastically improved—in part, as she tells us, because she's happier. She has opened up a bank account, has savings, and is building a future for her family. Respected in her community and known for her hard work, Clementine feels uplifted and secure since she began crocheting bracelets. We recently received news that her white blood cell count has gone up, yet again!
Clementine’s message to customers: