Unity and reconciliation commission graced the launch of the vulnerable children unity club
National unity and Reconciliation commission has graced ‘Inkingi unity club’ composed of over 900 extremely vulnerable children which was launched on Friday, January 5, 2018 in Kigali.
The children recruited from Kigali city and Nyabihu district are from the 1st and 2nd Ubudehe categories, street children, orphans, children from single mothers and other vulnerable categories that are supported for their education from primary to University schools.
They are supported by Reach the Children of Rwanda International, a Christian non-profit organization with offices in the USA and Rwanda, working together to change lives of disadvantaged children across Rwanda.
Recently Speaking at the launch of the club, Bishop John Rucyahana, the chairman of National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, said the club dubbed ‘Inkingi’ or pillar of transformation will help boost peaceful and resilient development by working hard to promote ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ initiative as motor of unity and reconciliation in Rwanda.
“We hope that the seeds being planted by these children will be enjoyable in the future. Investing such values of unity and reconciliation in children who are vulnerable and from different families and communities will help scale them up across the country and serve as models to others seeing that dignity of Rwanda is in the hands of young generation,” he said.
He reminded the children that the tragedy of genocide against the Tutsi that happened in Rwanda was triggered by lack of unity in the country.
“We urge parents not to let children be poisoned by bad ideology since it could destroy any achievements in rebuilding the nation,” he said.
Benjamin Musuhuke, Director of the Christian organization that supports education for the children said they target to increase children over 1,000 with over 800 vulnerable families by 2020, but added that nothing could be done if principles of unity and reconciliation are not mainstreamed.
He said over Rwf100 million is spent on education for such children in different schools.
“We think of the role of family in building next generation but we think it cannot happen if values of unity and reconciliation are undermined. In this year we experienced 40 cases involving issues of unity and reconciliation, we experienced 60 families with issues related to gender based violence.
All these pushed more than 40 children out of their families and other problems such as poverty. We think launching unity club is timely to join hands in solving those problems,” said Musuhuke.
He added the club which was initiated by 15 children currently at university of those whom they support will see enrolling all other children in the club for being able to disseminate building message to bigger community.
“We need to enhance relationship with social protection programmes so that all help transform the society,” he noted.
Erneste Nsengiyumva, one of the beneficiaries of the initiative since 2012 and currently studying at University of Rwanda said : “ As we choose to be pillars of transformation, we cannot put behind unity and reconciliation which we considers as foundation of what we need to achieve,”
“We will be holding different dialogues, joining youth’s associations in the community to reinforce values of unity and reconciliation,” he dded.
Claudine Uwimana, another student supported by the organization and member of the new unity club said: “we will guide younger children on better values as we are also guided by promoters of unity. We need to play our role in eradicating genocide ideology,”
The third Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer report by Unity and reconciliation commission in 2016 unveiled that up to 92.5 per cent of Rwandans today feel that unity and reconciliation has been achieved.
However, it says, the survey indicates that 22.5 per cent of Rwandans strongly believe there are people who would still commit genocide if conditions favored as 27.9 per cent of Rwandans view themselves through the lenses of ethnic groups.
By Michel Nkurunziza
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