Bugesera: CECHE Foundation inaugurates an inclusive ECD Center in Ntarama

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

CECHE Foundation, a local organization that supports children with disabilities in Ntarama Sector, Bugesera District has inaugurated an inclusive center to cater for both children with and without disabilities.

The organization stands for Children in Education, Cultural and Health Environment, helping parents with children with disabilities and other children from needy families who are below 3 years old to access early childhood Interventions (ECI) such as physiotherapy and moral gaming as well as good nutrition.

‘ISHEMA INCLUSIVE ECD CENTER’, was inaugurated in line with the organization’s expansion model with the aim to promote disability inclusion.

Speaking at the event, Joseph Munyandamutsa, Founder and Executive Director said that the center will promote accessible services to children with and without disabilities, by helping them to learn together and to strive for the independency.

Munyandamutsa lauds efforts by different partners and the government to have this idea implemented.

“We want to expand our interventions and reach to more children, we encourage all partners, all stakeholders to join our efforts and combine interventions to achieve this goal. So far, we have some ideas and projects that we think can work better,” He said.

The center hosts 30 children who attend daily class and 21 who come at weekly basis in therapeutic intervention group with their parents, and they plan to expand gradually.

One of the challenges the center has is lack of a space to host own ECD center building as they accommodate the activities in a rented house.

Officials discussing the future development of the ECD centre.

The initiative is currently implemented under the support of Jumelage Rhineland-Palatinate / Rwanda.

Edithe Nyirabizeyimana, one of the beneficiaries whose child was born with physical disability said that she joined CECHE foundation and found positive results.

“My child was 7 months old and could not move his neck and head, I had not hope that his disability status could improve. Fortunately, as he got therapeutic healthcare, he can now sit, stand up and work,” she said.

Edithe Nyirabizeyimana,

H.E. Ron Adam, the Ambassador of Israel to Rwanda who participated at the center’s inaugural ceremony said that the concept of inclusiveness is holistic as it doesn’t only involve people with disabilities.

“This is the beginning of the support to raise awareness, that is why I am here. In the future, we will see how we can support the initiative with some resources,” he said.

Yvette IMANISHIMWE, the vice mayor in charge of social affairs in Bugesera District, said that they have been working with CECHE Foundation since a couple of years.  

She said that the entire district of Bugesera has 5,699 persons with disabilities of whom 3862 are children under 18 years old.

“We support them in education and health care as well as social economic development, we have 15 associations of parents with children with disabilities and we do encourage them to be together for us to support them easily,” Imanishimwe said.

Florentine Uwamariya, an official in charge of welfare at the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD)said that a child with disability is able, and he/she cannot be a burden to the parents, the family and the nation once he/she is catered for in terms of healthcare, education.

“Parents should take lead in exposing the problems facing children with disabilities, so that different partners look for solutions,” she noted.

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