March 29, 2024

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Five years after its official launch, Save Generations Organization has a lot to celebrate

Save Generations Organization (SGO), is a Rwandan development Non-Government Organization (NGO) dedicated to promote and advocate for child and women’s rights in order to prepare, empower and equip the future generations.

When It started in 2015 there were many problems not only among girls but also among boys.

Yvette Nyinawumuntu, Founder and Director of Save Generations Organization said that there were many cases of school dropout, however, she adds “today we are happy because school dropouts among adolescents have reduced.”

“This was due to policies in place and opportunities that attracts young people” Nyinawumuntu added

“Coming back to the issue of girls where most of the girls that we had in our programs stopped school due to early pregnancy problems, they were teenage mothers but we didn’t leave them behind. We use our means and brought them back to school,”

She noted that through advocacy, the issue of teenage pregnancy has been understood at the highest level which prompts the search for tangible solutions among line partners.

“We are happy that the issue of teenage pregnancy is an issue that everyone is aware of today. Not only among us as NGO but also among other partners and the government. We are really happy because everyone is working to find lasting solution” She says

Yvette Nyinawumuntu, Founder and Director of Save Generations Organization

She revealed that as the Save Generations Organization they had many girls who joined the organization’s programs and they were really in bad conditions.

“But as we continue to support them, they have changed based on the social support they had, training they had, as well as economic support they received to build their livelihoods.” Nyinawumuntu explains.

She emphases that all of these achievements are part of celebrations after five years giving interventions in community.

Save Generations Organization programs have seen many girls who were teenage mothers now understand who they are, their values, their potential and ready to pursue their future plans that will not only benefit them, but also beneficial to their families, their community as well as to the country’s transformation.

“For instance, in our sponsorship program, we met different bright girls. They were bright of course but had no means to continue school. We brought them back to school. Today they are studying and they are still among the brightest.” Nyinawumuntu said.

According to the Founder, through the current sponsorship program, 10 girls have been fully sponsored since the year one until they complete high school education.

Nyinawumuntu added that one among the sponsored girls have completed her high Education Studies.

To date Four cohorts of girls finished from SGO programs where around 200 girls benefited from that program.

“Some have created their own jobs and others are working in cooperatives…” Explains Nyinawumuntu.

She also recounts how the program on Empowerment of Adolescent girls in school has yielded the positive results noting that “the program targets sexual and reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) after finding out that parents cannot explicitly talk about those subjects in the face of their children.”

Save Generations Organization implemented various projects on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for adolescents and Youth

For sure SRHR was something considered as taboo due to the society’s cultural barriers but today as we continue our awareness campaigns not only us but also with other partners, it is not an issue as such. Today even parents, local leaders, the country as a whole, Adolescents and youth themselves understand their role, they have got information on SRHR and this assures us that there is hope for the future where teenage pregnancies will drop significantly.” She says

This intervention is done in the schools in Kamonyi and Gasabo districts, “where we have 200 girls’ champions and 40 boys, and they are the one to mobilize their peers with accurate information. This reach to approximately more than 10,000 girls and girls in schools and through the campaigns we conducted like the radio program that reaches as much as possible.”

The targeted group is made of people ranging between in school between 10 – 19 years old for those in schools and between 16 – 30 years old for those out of the school.

Save Generations Organization interventions covered and still covers the districts of Kicukiro (2015-2017), Gasabo (2015-up to now), Kamonyi (2018-up to now), Rwamagana (2015 – 2017), Nyamagabe (2018), Bugesera (2020-Up to now), Nyagatare (2020- till today)

 

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