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ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2023

United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. 44,000+ student leaders from 3,300+ campuses across 170+ nations applied to join the Class of 2023. 260+ campuses worldwide (just 9%) in 38 countries were selected to host 4,000+ Millennium Fellows for the Class of 2023.

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UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT SOLANGE IRADUKUNDA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2023.

African Leadership University | Kigali, Rwanda | Advancing SDG 5 & UNAI 1

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Millennium Fellowship Project: Threads of Hope

Threads of Hope is a small handicraft business company specializing in handmade crafts and art pieces in Mahama Refugee Camp. It has a long history of providing quality handmade Rwandan Traditional items. A young professional entrepreneur founded it from the African Leadership University(Solange Iradukunda) strongly desires to help teen mothers who are survivors of sexual gender-based violence and ostracized by their families; those Teen mothers live with limited income and limited support for their children. The young entrepreneur aims to collaborate with teen mothers in Rwanda Mahama Refugee Camp. Threads of Hope Business aims to support them in creating their job through weaving Handmade products.

Furthermore, Threads of Hope offers traditional Rwandan items, including Uduseke baskets, basketry, mats, woven bowls, wall hangings, bags and purses, Christmas trees, wall hanging decor, recycled bags, laundry products, etc.

Our primary goal is collaborating with teen mothers in the Rwanda Mahama Refugee Camp. These young mothers, who have survived sexual and gender-based violence, often live with limited income and support for their children. Threads of Hope Business aims to empower them by providing training and opportunities to create handmade products, offering them a source of income, skills development, and a chance to build a better future. These teen mothers will actively participate in the business by crafting these traditional handicrafts, preserving cultural traditions, and contributing to their economic well-being.

Threads of Hope's mission is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of teen mothers in the refugee camp by empowering them through entrepreneurship and handcraft production. By offering economic opportunities, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting sustainability, we aim to uplift these women and improve their livelihoods while fostering a more inclusive and environmentally conscious economy in the Mahama refugee camp.

About the Millennium Fellow

Solange Iradukunda is a Third Year Student in African Leadership, who grew up in Kirundo Province, Burundi Country; she started her University in 2021 at the Rwanda Mahama Refugee camp, where she arrived in a refugee camp in 2015, and Solange's Interest in women's empowerment and Job creation lead her to create her own handicraft Business called Tujenge in January 2023 in collaboration with teen mothers within the Rwanda Mahama Refugee camp who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence are ostracised by their families and communities, leaving them with limited income and support to care for their children.

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