From Darkness to Happiness: Disadvantaged children see the future from community backing

By Elias Hakizimana.

After the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994, many lives were in dilemma and mostly children who became orphans at the nursery stage could not dream to live longer.

Some of these orphans were born with HIV, others with disabilities and without someone to take care of their lives.

As the country moved on rebuilding its stability in different life perspectives, together with its partners managed to cater for such vulnerable children with education and healthcare, this is how Association Mwana Ukundwa was born in 1995 post-genocide perpetrated against the Tusti.

The child-friendly center helped many children, accounting for 17,000 in 27 years ago. Through education and family development, it helps to retrieve life expectancy of children who were born HIV positive, children with disabilities and those from the streets.

Brave Ndeshyo, 25, is one of the children who were born HIV positive and was helped by Association Mwana Ukundwa to be who he is now.

“Due to the heartbreaking journey, I ever experienced, at my primary age when I revealed that I was born with HIV, it was not easy to embrace that situation and I had set my life expectancy to less than 18 years old, I could suffer from sickness and my parents did not want to tell me the truth about my health, only telling me that it is headache and kept on giving me paracetamol,” he said.

“I became indiscipline and drugs addicted due to the discrimination by my fellow students at school who could sometime flew a way my ARV drugs, I dropped out from school many times after quitting Mwana Ukundwa, but, due to the close assistance and tireless efforts of the officials of the center they comforted me and encouraged me to study, now I finished senior six (S6) of secondary school and I believe in the future for good and better life,” he added.

Community care for Christmas happiness

Ndeshyo and other children who are supported by Association Mwana Ukundwa were surprised to see on Friday, December 22, 2022, the people from NFT Consult coming with the gifts and a cake to celebrate with them the 2022 Christmas.

“It was a surprise, when we get someone to care and get closer to us, it gives hope and strength to our little brothers and sisters who lost hope of long-lasting life. I can tell all those children that the future is possible, and they should work to prove to the community that they are able, so they will be assisted,” he noted.

Fabiola Nduwokubwayo, 12, who was born Albinos, said the center helps her to get school materials and skin butter as well as other hygienic equipment. She was also happy for NFT Consult people who brought them other school and hygienic materials besides a good heart to celebrate with them the Christmas.

Samuel Mugisha, Country Director of NFT Consult said that celebrating the Christmas with these children was part of their initiative to give back to the Rwandan community.

“This is within our culture that every year, we must join needy communities to celebrate together the festive season. It shows them that there is always another hand to help, so, today we chose to come here and apart from sharing, we also donated children with scholastic materials and some sanitary equipment including toothpaste. We also donated the center a cheque of Rwf300,000 to pay health insurance for 100 people among their vulnerable beneficiaries,” Mugisha said.

The center welcomes the support  

Samuel Byiringiro, Director of Association Mwana Ukundwa said it is for great consideration to have such partners to help them boost joy of the vulnerable children.

“We thank NFT Consult to consider our children who could not manage to celebrate Christmas. Giving them gifts is a heartfelt gratitude, it can be a great response if other entities, individuals and the private sector take the same initiative.” He said.

The center hosts 2,000 children every year. Only fifty (50) selected most vulnerable were given the gifts by NFT Consult.

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