Club Rafiki-Nyamirambo promotes girls, young women welfare through holistic development programs

By Elias Hakizimana.

Club Rafiki youth friendly center of Nyamirambo continues to build resilience and promote the welfare of girls and young women through various programs that aim at preparing their future.

Through the program ‘Our Girl, Our Future’, the center is striving for equal opportunities in education for both girls and boys, thus increasing the number of girls that is still not enough.

Omar Tony Nsengumuremyi, the coordinator of Club Rafiki Nyamirambo said that a girl is able, capable and should be involved in the activities that promote her wellbeing.

Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH)

“We encourage girls to be involved in SRH services for example. This helps them to know where to look for information and pieces of advice about sexual reproductive health. We teach them about the role of using sanitary pads and other hygiene tools like toothbrushes, iron, etc.”

Nsengumuremyi said, adding that one big challenge is that the number of teen pregnancies is still on high to 30 percent of all the teenagers who come for voluntary testing.

He said that youth mobilization campaigns in the communities are still needed as most of them do not have enough knowledge on SRH.

Sports and Leisure

Club Rakifi Nyamirambo also prepares young girls to be competitive players by organizing inter-school and inter-gender match competitions where girls and boys learn from each other and protect each other as sisters and brothers.

“We enable girls to play different games such as volleyball, basketball and to play guitar in order to be friendly with music innovation and creativity. This increases their moral and physical critical thinking in their daily lives.” He said.

Job desk boosting job readiness for young women

In order to help young women embrace income generating activities and be competitive at the labour market, Club Rafiki’s Job desk program helps them get information on available vacancies and prepares them on CV and application letter writing as well as how to pass a job interview.

“We started from those who studied accountancy and University graduates, enabling them to know the labour market status and reality. After they submit online applications, we accompany them in following interview procedures.” Nsengumuremyi said.

As per 2020-2021 Club Rafiki’s annual report, 3,239 youth in Nyarugenge district were employed including 66 percent males and 34 percent females.

Tailoring and fashion design

“We need to help girls who dropped out of school to create jobs through our tailoring and fashion design class, and; they manage to turn hands-on skills into income generating activities. The class started with 15 girls and 5 boys in December 2021. We want to enable girls to generate income and contribute to her own, her family and her nation’s development.” Said Nsengumuremyi.

Knitting

During 2020-2021, at least 355 teen mothers (100%) were trained in knitting through the Club Rafiki’s Knitting for young women program.

Girls are able Program  

Through this program, Club Rafiki links up the girls to women entrepreneurs to be their role models in business practices.

Beneficiaries speak out

After dropping out of school in Senior One (S1) IN 2019, Ishami Chance Nuswaibah, 18 learns tailoring at Club Rafiki from December 2021. She joined without basic skills and can now make a skirt, shirt and shorts.

“I wish to have a package of hands-on skills in tailoring and fashion design so that I become able to make all possible kinds of clothes and fashion.” She said,

Ishami believes that practical vocational education is important and helps a girl to create her financial sustainability in the future.

Esperance Uwamurera, a trainer in tailoring at Club Rafiki Nyamirambo said that the main target is to help youth create jobs and graduate from poverty and loneliness.

“Tailoring makes them busy and prevents them from being lured into the behaviours that lead to early pregnancies. For those who have kids, this business helps them to cater for them.” Uwamurera said.