Zaza in the media.

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Five years later, that collaboration has gone further than either of them could have imagined at the time. In addition to the bakery, their partnership spawned a documentary, “Zaza Rising,” being shown at festivals around the world this year, and an ongoing effort to help HIV-positive single mothers pursue an education and a sustainable income.

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The dynamic duo worked tirelessly through the highs and lows (entrepreneurs know of what I speak) to make Christine’s vision of helping the underserved community of Zaza a reality. With a grant from the U.S. AID in hand and a lot of sweat equity, the Duterimbere bakery was born.

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In the film, Christine speaks about the role gender plays in her community. It’s often assumed that girls aren’t capable of work, and Christine shares how her parents used to cry because they never bore a son. To challenge the stigma around gender, Christine worked hard to sell produce and earn an income that could support her through college to get a degree in economics.

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My childhood friend - and now Executive Producer on the film - Elizabeth Dettke approached me with this fascinating story. She had been in Rwanda with the Peace Corp for two years and encountered this incredibly strong woman, Christine, who had started a bakery employing only HIV positive, single mothers. She told me the bakery was now struggling and wanted to shoot a short documentary to raise money for them.