On a bigger extent, Umuhuza encourages all stakeholders, partners, communities and volunteers to commit to learning from each other, understand barriers and limitations that others face and how they overcome them and recognize that each relies on the experiences and expertise of others to implement successful projects and activities. Achieving goals requires collective efforts, mutual learning and sharing.
3.2.
Success Stories
Community engagement is not easy work, but it is important work. Here are a sample of initiatives in which Umuhuza is pursuing a community engagement strategy and making a strong impact within target communities:
i)
Learning through radio
Working with Save The Childen, Umuhuza designed a radio program targeting communities with messages on positive parenting. Through targeted radio messages, aired weekly on Huguka Community radio, Umuhuza targets parents mostly in rural areas. For every radio program sessions, organized groups of parents come together to listen to the programs and topics being discussed. Thereafter, they have reflections on the day’s topic and end up with lessons drawn from the program- which they go on to replicate in their families. This program is proving to be a very instrumental in influencing parents’ behaviors and actions. The following are examples of how the radio program is contributing to changing attitudes of parents, particularly men, vis-à-vis positive parenting.
JEAN CLAUDE GIRINSHUTI, his wife and their daughter live in Kibanda Village, Kinazi sector and are among those who completed the 18 First Steps parenting sessions. Before attending the parenting session program, Jean Claude used to quarrel with his wife, Rosine Mukeshimana. He couldn’t pay health insurance subscriptions for the family; neither could he provide them food and other basic necessities. When First Steps program started in their village, Jean Claude and his wife joined them and through the radio messaging, he realized that his behaviors were negatively impacting his family. And so, he decided to change. He started being supportive to his wife, taking care of their child, providing food and other basic necessities to his family and became more open to discuss and listen to his wife’s ideas. Jean Claude has made it his mission to change other men in his village. He regularly shares his testimony with others and is always open to share what he has learnt from the program. Jean Claude has mobilized other 4 men to join the First Steps sessions and he has been nominated to lead his village’s parent group.
Before joining the parenting sessions, Valens Dukundane thought taking care of their children was the sole responsibility of his wife, fortune Mukandori. After learning from the radio program and listening to the testimony of a father who used to play and have fun with his child, Valens changed his attitudes and nowadays he dedicate part of his time to play and have fun with his children. When his wife is not at home, Valens happily stays home to take care of their children.
