The ministry of Gender and Family Promotion Applauds the Achievements of CARE and its Partners in the Southern Province

Currently, CARE implements a new program called “HER DIGNITY, OUR PRIDE” targeting 1,500,000 Women and Girls by 2025 under three program focus areas : i) Women and girls Economic Empowerment, ii) Life Free from Violence/GBV prevention, and iii) Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

The program is implemented in partnership with different partner organizations and various stakeholders. In the Southern Province, CARE is currently working in partnership with RWAMREC, Pro-Femmes/TweseHamwe, AEE, ARTCF Ruhuka, DUHAMIC ADRI, and financial service providers such as ;VISION FUND Rwanda, UMUTANGUHA FINANCE, INKUNGA FINANCE, WISIGARA FINANCE, UOB, CLECAM and DUTERIMBERE MFI. Program participants are also served by Umurenge SACCOs to increase their financial inclusion.

CARE’s interventions contribute to Rwanda Vision 2020, which envisions transforming Rwanda into a middle income country (from a per capita income of 220 USD in 2000, to about 900 USD per year). This will require an annual growth rate of at least 7%, and this can only be achieved through a transformation from subsistence agriculture, to productive and market oriented agriculture (Rwanda Vision 2020). In that context, CARE Rwanda and the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion conducted a joint field visit from 06-07th June 2019 in the Southern Province of Rwanda. The field visit assessed the impact of CARE and partners’ intervention programs on participants through different projects.

The ministry representatives applauded the contribution of CARE and its partners in different projects. Among the visited interventions included ;Women entrepreneurship (GEWEP) in Huye (Gishamvu and Ngoma Sectors), Improving attitudes in the community towards GBV prevention and response (GEWEP) in Huye / Gishamvu Sector, Promotion of Social Accountability for GBV prevention and response (EVC project) in Huye/Rusatira Sector. For this GBV prevention project, they visited interface dialogues between citizens and duty bearers on GBV services and they assessed citizens’ participation in the Imihigo process. They also visited youth clubs activities (saving, life skills, etc.) in Ruhango/Mbuye Sector (SS4G project).

VSLAs group members showcasing their entrepreneurship projects (agriculture, handcraft, tailoring, etc.) in Gishamvu sector. The VSLAs members have saved 2,098,500 RWF in only 9 months and have already paid their health insurance (Mutuelle de santé) for 2019-2020.

Community activism club for GBV prevention supported by RWAMREC has contributed to change 68 couples from GBV to a life free from violence,and legalized 21 couples’ marriages.

In their technical visits representatives of MIGEPROF encouraged project participants to take advantage of the interventions they received from CARE and partners. They encouraged project participants and local leaders in attendance to strengthen the existing sustainability mechanisms and spread the best practices to surrounding communities.

In the recorded testimonies of women groups’ who were visited, they testified that they know their rights, they increased their confidence and self-esteem, they are now being elected as leaders and started business project to contribute to their household developments.

MIGEPROF team visited the interface meeting in Rusatira, Huye District. A community advocacy core team is holding local leaders accountable to consider their priorities for citizen towards GBV prevention and response, andto increase women participation in planning and budgeting.

Through the Every Voice Project implemented by Pro-Femmes/TweseHamwe in Huye District, visitors attended the interface meeting where dialogues occurred between citizens and duty bearers on GBV services, and citizens’ participation in theImihigo process. Through a community score card, citizens showed a need for further improvement particularly in regards to fostering interventions related to education on gender equality, GBV prevention and response, and to increase the specific spaces where citizens give their ideas on planning and budgeting priorities.

MURANGIRA Jean Bosco-Director of Women Economic Empowerment in MIGEPROF encouraged local leaders to sit together with citizens in order to address together the issues affecting the family, in order to build the family free from violence.

In Ruhango District, the team visited CYIZIBERE 12YBE School and interacted with the youth and their mentors on life skills, teenage pregnancy prevention, and economic saving initiatives.

MIGEPROF, CARE and partners team visiting a school inRuhango District, Mbuye Sector. The youth were urged to prevent teenage pregnancy and for young girls to strive for a better future free from unwanted pregnancies.

CARE and partners had the opportunity to showcase the intervention projects targeting vulnerable women and girls, and the effect it hadin gender equality and family promotion. The team from MIGEPROF reported an increased understanding of integrated approaches and delivery models used by CARE and partners. It suggested to duplicate that model in other provinces and encouraged local leaders who were visited to sustain the effective integration projects in their communities.