Nyamasheke: Vulnerable Child Headed Households Appreciate New Lease Of Life

By The Inspirer writer. 

Strive Foundation Rwanda (SFR) is a local non –governmental, non-religious, non-political and non-profit making organization that was founded in 2003 with a goal of promoting social and economic welfare of the vulnerable communities.

Basically, SFR desires to measure success for its beneficiaries through awareness, improved livelihood, or other criteria mutually agreed upon between the organization and the government of Rwanda.

 Today, Children from remote sectors of Nyamasheke and Rusizi districts of the Western Province whose parents passed on or else were abandoned by their parents smile as they get support from Strive Foundation Rwanda(SFR) in partnership with Human Help Network.

At least 139 families of 500 children from 11 sectors of Rusizi and Nyamasheke Districts are surviving, thanks to different support offers by Strive Foundation Rwanda.

The offers include food stuffs, school fees and accommodation to some of the most vulnerable. Others were given cows to improve their livelihoods.

Physical Interview

Uwimana, a minor of 16, from Kidashira Village, Kagatamu Cell, Bushenge sector was abandoned by parents with her younger six brothers and sisters and all seven children were raised by their maternal grandmother who also abandoned them later.

“Our grandmother also abandoned us and we called for intervention from local authorities, they constructed a house for us near the grandmother’s house. Since then, eating was a problem. I cannot cook one kilogram of rice and satisfy seven children.” She says.

Uwimana, who is also a student in senior 2 started to care for her young sisters and brothers at 12-years old. She appreciates the significant support from Strive Foundation Rwanda.

“Strive Foundation Rwanda pays school fees for us, give us food and accompanies us in our education carrier,” she adds.

The organization also manages to give these orphans moral and psychological support where they hired volunteers to give children counseling services as some of them get anxious due to the hurdles they go through.

Ishimwe, 17, an orphan who lives with her younger sister is a student in senior 2. Her sister is in primary five. Both get school fees from Strive Foundation Rwanda.

“We appreciate their support, our lives were uncertain. Today, I have received a cow from Strive Foundation Rwanda and it will help us to improve the livelihood.” She says.

Mentorship in education at home as Covid-19 persists

Strive Foundation Rwanda also helps these children to revise their lessons with a mentor, a volunteer who is an Alumni student to follow and guide them in respect to Covid-19 prevention measures.

“We use a radio set donated by Strive Foundation Rwanda to help the children revise lessons at home while abiding with preventive measures to mitigate Covid-19.” Says Diane Gikundiro, 22, who helps orphans from Impala cell, Bushenge sector.

Gikundiro is the elder of four children and herself was helped by Strive Foundation to study.

 “My younger sister and my brothers study. They give us food, life changed.” She says.

The package of support

Leopold Ruzibiza, Programs Manager at SFR says that beyond food stuffs support, beneficiaries are given cows to help them get milk, fertilizer and money.

“We advise them to save money from milk to buy other small livestock or renovate their houses. We also build houses for some beneficiaries who are surviving under extreme poverty, we pay them health insurance, we build them latrines and we make kitchen garden for them.” Ruzibiza notes.

He adds that SFR provides counseling service to some beneficiaries who have mental disorders. The counselors also help them to change mindset and help some who dropped out of schools to resume studies.

To help children learn during the Covid-19 period, SFR provided 260 Radio sets and face masks; and hired 45 Alumni volunteers to follow on living conditions of these children in their families.

“One of the challenges we face is limited capacity to cover all the sectors. Many still want to work with us.  Getting to the beneficiaries also remains an issue as they live in scattered and hillsides’ areas, which becomes difficult when it comes to the visit.” He added.

On August 24, 2020, beneficiaries were given food stuffs. 12 families from Bushenge sector were given cows while others received them in the past.

“Every beneficiary has a kitchen garden and those with malnutrition get a balanced diet,” Ruzibiza notes.

According to Félicien Mushinzimana, the in-charge of Social Affairs in Bushenge sector, some children among the beneficiaries were found in malnutrition and benefited from SFR’s kitchen gardens.

“In case of deep poverty or emergency, we give social assistance to a child where we first visit her/him to hear from them before acting or advocating them to our donors.”  Mushinzimana says.

It is the fourth time SFR donates food stuff to these children since Covid-19 pandemic entered the country.

However, Strive foundation Rwanda has aligned its initiatives through four main programs for effective and result full coordinating mechanism. Among them includes; Health, Education, Women Youth Empowerment and Good governance. SFR head office is located in Kigali city, Gasabo district, Ndera sector, Masoro cell, Matwari village, KG 11 Street, Zindiro-Azam road.

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