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The new project of Pineapple production in Mwulire sector has started last October. This program envisions to develop skills related to the culture of modernized pineapple. Currently,identification and trainings have been done. UYISENGA N’MANZI and TechnoServe are following up beneficiaries to make sure that theories are made in practice.
So far, 18 small groups of three households are implementing the project.They hope to make much profit, and to share new techniques with their neighbors.
MUSAYIDIRE Irene, a staff member affected on the project has appreciated the training content and the methodology being used. This came as a complement of techniques that UYISENGA N’MANZI has established to know better what problems are facing that targeted population and to involve them in the finding of solutions
SUPPORT FOR SMALL INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES
By NYINAWABANA Diane
Uyisenga N’Manzi, in partnership with Care International trains and follows up (supervises) the Nkundabana members (adult mentors). At the House of Peace in Rwamagana held a meeting between CARE International, Uyisenga N’Manzi and Nkundabana project members. The aim of the meeting was, to see the challenges that the Nkundabana face, to share ideas on what have been done, how the next issues will be solved and to plan for a need assessment.
Munyarugerero Andre from CARE International says that it is in the program of evaluation that they clinical supervise the child mentors in order to help them being aware of the required needs and to help effectively the community they are working for.
Dativa Mukarugwiza says that there is a remarkable change since they continue to approach children and listen to them and help them out. “It had been of great importance to be trained about the right of children, social life, and mental health and about how to advocate for a child”, she said.
Irene Musayidire, head of UNM psychosocial program says that the members of the organization benefited a lot from the Nkundabana project because within these groups of child mentors there are those who have been beneficiaries of UNM and now they took that responsibility to help others.
To help Nkundabana efficacy to be in their field work, and especially for the purpose of responding to socio-economic problems, they face the problems of children they care. A support at their disposal for small income generating projects is given. Nkundabana had time to choose suit activity or project to run, not exceeding 35 000 Rwf (less than 60USD). Thus, the vast majority of participants opting for raising goats and pigs.
Nkundabana project is funded by the European Commission and implemented in partnership with ARCT-RUHUKA and HAGURUKA and in association with MIGEPROF and UYISENGA N’MANZI. the project scales-up the successful Nkundabana model , a model which strengthens the capacity of communities and households to fulfill their obligations in the protection, promotion, achievement of child rights, psychosocial support through capacity building.
If students, beneficiaries of Uyisenga N’Manzi are about to go back to school, we provide school materials and encourage them to improve their max.
“We can do good things for good needy people when we work together. It is our pleasure and privilege to provide these items to children, “says Irene (education department). We do this because most of them have no means, no way to find these materials. We do not only provide materials but also encouragement to young people, those who performed very well are awarded; all of them are told that going to school requires so many things including carefulness and self discipline.
Manzi Alexis S5 ELEC says: “because Uyisenga N’Manzi trains us about how to work and has helped us developing good organizational and teamworking skills, we will be able to work hard and improve at school; we are going to be role models.” Mukamwiza Hadijda S4 accountant says: “I couldn’t afford to buy them all. It’s just a real blessing to be able to get these for free”, a lot of families need help,” she added.
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In a meeting held at House Of Peace Rwamagana this 30 July 2012, Uyisenga N’Manzi met with its target population in order to launch a new project for sustainable development. The aim of the meeting was to get different points of view on how they used to grow pineapples, challenges they face and suggestions about how they want to move from associations to cooperatives. This goes in with its mission to change lives of youth head of households and enable them being competitive in agriculture, businesses and artistic work to generate income.
Kagenza one of these young orphans said that this pilot project will be of great importance because the farming is not actually made for efficient businesses.
UNM beneficiaries will be able to grow pineapples from the crop to the market to solve many problems while different industries which produce passion juices used to come and get pineapples to the same farm at cheaper price compared to the market’ s product.
With its programs to focus on empowering young people through capacity building and improving the business environment, we believe that UNM beneficiaries will get different income due to changes and problem solved and this will impact a lot on the community’s life.
We have been lucky to meet with a delegation from Chello Foundation in monitoring and evaluation (March18&19, 2012). As new partner, that was again a training and refreshment on how to implement Education support by Chello Foundation.
During the visit, a meeting with all staff involved in the project has made clarified some issues to emphasise on in order to make education program with Chello Foundation a success. These are the openness and the flexibility in the partnership, and full respect to the terms of reference in the identification and children monitoring and evaluation.
A field visit has also been done to meet the community which has taken part to the identification, school authorities and children themselves in their respective household or school.
Dr Imaya had an opportunity to be informed on what is going on and to give advice, but also to face new realities in Rwanda. UYISENGA N’MANZI team enjoyed this useful visit and has again made commitment to contribute to the success of the project.
An activity organized by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission in partnership with UYISENGA N’MANZI ASBL from 11/12/2011 to 20/12/2011
Thanks to the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), 430 orphan heads of households (242 girls and 188 boys) have attended a solidarity camp and this enabled UYISENGA N’MANZI to reach one of its objectives: to give the target population a voice and a space for active participation.
The solidarity camp has been identified as one approach to deal with trauma in groups, and since 2005, 200 to 300 orphans have participated each term, often during holidays. This year it has expanded; the number of participants has increased significantly, National Unity and Reconciliation Commission has provided all required logistics and personnel as well as its equip center, and the participants enjoyed the solidarity camp as a gift for Christmas.
During this solidarity camp, held at Nkumba in Burera district in the Northern Province, various young orphans came together; from those still feeling hopeless to those who have proven to be resilient from the time they lost all their relatives. They shared testimonies on challenges and opportunities offered by Rwandan society during its reconstruction process. We all learned how a simple act of care impacted the lives of these girls and boys.
These young girls and boys came from 10 districts in which UYISENGA N’MANZI has implemented its programs: Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge in Kigali City, Kamonyi, Nyanza, Huye and Nyaruguru in the South, Rwamagana, Kayonza and Gatsibo in the East. They came as delegates from their respective groups and were called to learn in order to share with their colleagues back home. The youngest was 13 years old and the eldest was 28.
Many institutions, personalities and media groups were invited to discuss with the participants including: NURC, National Commission on the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), UYISENGA N’MANZI, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Youth and Sports (MINIYOUTH), Ministry of Local Governance (MINALOC), Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST), the National Commission for Children (NCC), Researchers, and more. These leaders helped show the participants how they are influential and accountable to general citizens and to orphans in particular. They also provided a space for the orphans to discuss the way their problems are being addressed in society.
UYISENGA N’MANZI would like to thank NURC, the Rwanda National Police, Ruhengeri Hospital, the National Commission for Children and all its partners committed to contributing to the wellbeing of orphan heads of households and young female victims of violence.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!
In Mwulire Sector, Rwamagana District, Eastern Province, UYISENGA N’MANZI has established a multidimensional centre for extending its programs, decentralising its services, and contributing to strategies for development (MDG’s, Vision 2020, and EDPRS).
Thanks to the European Union Commission, CAFOD and other partners, UYISENGA N’MANZI has built a “House of Peace” located about 45 minutes from Kigali, as a community center and a long term project.
What activities are held at the House of Peace?
This center will serve many purposes. Some have already started:
- Building peace through trainings: the main hall can serve up to 500 people, while the Executive hall is for 50 people
- Two dormitories can house 150 people each
- 6 single VIP rooms for will provide a home for trainers
- There are 2 hectares for agricultural demonstration activities “Ishuri ryo mu murima”, where you could find a kitchen garden, and all sorts of crops in a small space (pyramid garden, terrasse kitchen garden, tyres garden, sack garden)
- Vocational training and artistic activities
- Peace building activities (trainings, leisure time, and peer support groups)
Realizations
UYISENGA N’MANZI is proud of the way the House of Peace is coming together:
- Some materials are in place (chairs and tool kits for the vocational trainings)
- 2,500 books to start a library are available
- Meetings are conducted for members of the target population, and for women
- A training of trainers conducted for 30 people (3/4 in the target population)
- A strategic plan for the use of the center has been elaborated
Impact
UNM is reaching its objectives and there are already visible and direct impacts within the local community:
- The surrounding area now has electricity and clean water
- New homes are under construction
- More than 1,000 jobs were created and the workers have been able to improve their living conditions
A four days regional workshop on “Psycho-social and Medical Rehabilitation to Torture Victims” was organized by UYISENGA N’MANZI at Hill Top Hotel in Kigali, from August 16, to August 19, 2011.
This workshop is from a package funded by the European Commission (EU) through International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) to 11 partners in the project called “Regional Project on Rehabilitation to Torture Victims in the Great Lakes”.
This workshop grouped participants from DRC (7 organizations: SOPROB, AVVDA, CMM, FEDICONGO, KAF, REMAK, SAP ), Burundi (1 organization: SAP), Rwanda (2 organizations: UYISENGA N’MANZI and ARAMA).
Other partners were also benefiting from this capacity building activity such as NGO’s, Psychotherapist from hospitals, governement institutions, or universities : Ibuka, AVEGA, CNLG, the National Police Hospital and INATEK, etc.
The training was successful thanks to Dr Naasson MUNYANDAMUTSA, Psychiatric and Psychotherapist, who used his professionalism in the preparation and the four days with the group.
Dr Yvonne KAYITESHONGA from the Ministry of Health, proceeding to the official opening, called participants to maximize from the training, focusing on better interventions. She had expressed her satisfaction to the multidimensional approach in the rehabilitation to victims of torture and promised support from the Rwandan Government. She also welcomed partners to the project from Burundi and DRC and called all participants to work hand in hand, preventing, rehabilitating victims and fighting against all forms of violence.
On the 15/08/ 2011, a special event in Nyanza was organized by UYISENGA N’MANZI with the local community. That was a community work conducted in order to build homes for orphans with respect to the Rwandan National Policy where new homes are established in village.
More than 200 peoples participated, among them staff from Nyanza district and Rwabicuma sector where the village will be established, UYISENGA N’MANZI targeted orphans as well as the its staff.
From this activity, 2015 bricks have been made and this was the beginning; at this place where 10 plots have been given to UYISENGA N’MANZI ASBL under the social protection issue and from the advocacy conducted by the organization itself and the adult mentors “NKUNDABANA” based in Nyanza
