3.2. Success Stories

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.

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.

i) Changing mindsets through community engagement

Jean Bosco Abizihiwe, a resident of Kagarama village, Gatumba Sector , Ngororero District, always thought that looking after his children and having fun with them is a job reserved for her wife. For him, the sight of a man playing with kids was a disgrace and shameful; and so he kept away from his children.

However, this changed when Jean Bosco started attending sessions on positive parenting and received reading materials from Umuhuza. By participating in positive parenting sessions, Bosco got exposed to information on parenting and the role of both men and women in taking care of children.

Through continued exposure to information, discussions and exchange as well as feedback collection from participants in these sessions, there was a significant change in people’s mindset and we have observed men starting to take care of children and having fun with them through plays, songs and dances. Bosco says he now understands the role of husbands in taking care of children, interacting with them and ensuring their welfare.

Consolee MUKAMANA – The Volunteer who became a women representative

My Name is Mukamana Console. I am a Community Family Volunteer Since 2015 in Kimiramba Village, Nyenyeri Cell,Kabaya Sector in Ngororero District. I was trained by Umuhuza on First Steps 0-3 Project and after my training, I coached 40 parents that were selected in my village in phase one and two of this program on positive parenting.

Being a community family volunteer has increased the trust that my community members have in me. This is why I was elected as the Nyenyeri cell Women Council representative and member of Women Council in our Sector.

Based on the skills on positive parenting that I acquired from Umuhuza training and work, the parents whom I trained in parenting sessions requested me to start a Nursery in our Village because we really needed it. I headed by this call to found a Nursery school and today we have over 80 children enrolled. Each parent contributes 1000 Frw per month to provide porridge to their children. The parents are happy to have the nursery near them because they know that their children are safe and learning.

Shengampuli Reading Club initiate a savings program

Literacy Champions from Shengampuli Reading Club in Masoro Sector, Rulindo District initiated a savings program to tackle issues related to children’s studies.

Beatrice Cyurinyana, a community Literacy Champion at Shengampuli Reading Club, fronted the idea to other club members who supported it as they believed it would help them solve some of their basic issues, including regularly acquiring school materials for their children. Each parent saves 100 Frw per week and since June 2019, the cub has saved 589,940 RWF with target of reaching 1,000,000 RWF by January 2020.

Marie Josee Mukakanani, the Sector Education Inspector from Masoro Sector, attributes savings sensitization to Literacy Champions.

“As sector leadership, we failed to sustain financial literacy programs. We collaborated with Literacy Champions so that they can assist us with sensitization. Then parents started saving for their children. As a result of the savings, every parent is optimistic that that money will facilitate his/her child’s studies,” said the Sector Education Inspector.

Community members produce storybook

Umuhuza trained community volunteers known as Literacy Champions from Akanzu Reading Club in Nzige Sector, Rwamagana District. Using papers and pencils, the club members begun producing storybooks help children to read.