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Bayagendane David and Mukandayisenga Solange — Simbwa Cell, Ruhuha Village
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Bayagendane David, 45 years old, is married to Mukandayisenga Solange, 40 years old. They live in Simbwa Cell, Ruhuha Village, and have been married for 20 years. Together, they have four children.
Their family experienced serious conflict mainly due to David's excessive alcohol consumption, which often resulted in physical violence against his wife. The abuse became so severe that Solange was forced to flee and return to her parental home. The couple remained separated for five years.
After several years apart, their children approached their mother and begged her to return home. Although she agreed to come back, the situation did not improve, as David continued to abuse her and they no longer lived together as husband and wife.
As a member of the CARE VSLA group, David was identified as someone who could benefit from the Couples Curriculum training due to the violence within the family. At first, Solange did not fully understand the importance of the training and considered it a waste of time. However, she eventually agreed to participate.
During the first session, both David and Solange were deeply touched by the lessons, especially the understanding that change begins with the individual. David became emotional and sincerely apologized to his wife. He asked for forgiveness and expressed his desire to reconcile and rebuild their marriage, recognizing how much damage had already been done to their relationship.
Since then, remarkable changes have been observed within the family. David has significantly reduced his alcohol consumption, something that is now evident to everyone around him. There is no longer violence in the home, and peace and security have been restored within the family. Neighbors have even noticed the transformation and often wonder what brought about such positive change.
David has also improved his relationship with his children and now spends time talking and interacting with them, something he never did before.
Solange says she is deeply grateful to Benishyaka for thinking of their family and giving them the opportunity to participate in the training. She explains that before the intervention, she was feeling hopeless and overwhelmed by life's difficulties. Today, however, she and her husband are working together to rebuild their family and create a better future. She hopes that they will never return to the painful experiences they endured for many years.