Community Health Workers Trained on Income Generating Activities

Poverty is one of the causes of family breakdown that leads to child abandonment and institutionalisation.

That is why Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) is conducting a 4 days training of community health workers and cell officers in charge of social and economic development (SED) on small income generating activities.

About 64 persons who are active in monitoring the general wellbeing of children and families from Gatenga, Gikondo and Kigarama benefitted from this training.

All of this work is done in close collaboration between HHC, local leaders and operational structures of childcare networks.

“As agents of social change, community volunteers need trainings on subjects that can enhance their interventions at community level and ensure that children are cared for and families are strengthened to keep their children and meet their needs”, said Brigitte Hitimana one of HHC employees.

Monique Kayisharaza, one of the trainees a resident of Karugira cell, Kigarama sector in Kicukiro said, “we will, in turn identify vulnerable families at risk of breaking down and teach them how to increase their income and take good care of their children”.

She added that most vulnerable families are composed of women and young mothers who are hawking around the city selling tomatoes and other food items.

“After the training these women can be grouped into cooperatives and facilitated to get loans in Umurenge SACCO thus increasing their resilience and preventing their children from going to orphanages” she said.

Vedaste Uwimana, the cell officer in charge of social and economic development in Karugira cell in Kigarama sector added that there are 30 families at risk of break down in Karugira cell.

We will teach them how to start with little money they have and increase their family revenues, he concluded.

Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) is an international charity organisation working to ensure that all children have the chance to grow up in the love of a family.

It provides expertise in closing children’s institutions and reforming childcare systems.

In Rwanda HHC closed Mpore Pefa orphanage and now it is helping to find families to all children currently living in institutions.