Peace and Hope Initiative, RGB, UNDP Project now advancing former Beggars, Persons with Disabilities
The project targets vulnerable women, Children and Persons with disabilities
By Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU
Beneficiaries of the Project for the advancement of former Beggars, Children and Persons with Disabilities in Kimironko Sector in Gasabo District have started implementing one of the projects under the auspices of the Peace and Hope Initiative whose activities aims at supporting groups of people who have limited means to provide for their families and themselves.
The Peace and Hope Initiative has been advocating for orphans of the Genocide against the Tutsi who had given birth at early ages.
The organization started a school for those children whose parents were orphans and latter launched a Primary School level to educate children from poor families in Kinyinya.
As the time went on, Peace and Hope Initiative worked to expand charities to more vulnerable groups including former women beggars, children and persons with disabilities in Kimironko Sector of Gasabo District in the city of Kigali.
With the support from the Rwanda Governance Board and UNDP, Peace and Hope Initiative through the project “Equip children and women beggars as well as persons with disabilities with skills for life” is supporting the vulnerable group in Kimironko with the aim of alleviating its members from extreme poverty.
Currently activities are underway to bring about the welfare and development of 70 former women beggars, children and persons with disabilities selected as the most vulnerable in the Kimironko sector in Kigali city.
Initially the activities they are doing include growing mushrooms as a plant that is quickly grown on small space and is very productive and rich in many nutrients.
Mr. Albert Musabyimana, Founder and Legal Representative of the Peace and Hope Initiative, says the overall objective of the project is to help them learn skills and build confidence that they too can be successful even if they have a disability or have been begging.
“Through the TUZAMURANE Village Savings and Loan Association, (VSLs), these beneficiaries have been helped to develop a mushroom farming project as a fast-growing nutrient-rich plant,” he said.
He explains that the project activities are many but especially mushroom farming helps them to be together and work together for the common good.
“Just as the government is urging us to unite, we are also encouraging them to work together because that is where they can increase productivity and expand their harvest to the market,” he said.
In order to ensure the success of the project, Mr. Musabyimana explains that a monitoring team has been set up to assist the beneficiaries in the management of the financial gains or production from the mushroom farming.
He added that a committee was also formed in each cell in the Kimironko sector, each of which consisted of three members but there is also another committee set up for TUZAMURANE VSLs and it is led by Persons with Disability.
Mr Musabyimana said: “The aim is to ensure that the efforts made to develop the beneficiaries are not in vain. We want them to make progress and feel that they too are ready for their future.”
Mushroom farming activities are carried out in a dedicated house built in the Kimironko sector in Bibare Cell.
These activities followed the training they were previously given to first build capacity in project management and small projects creation.
Read Also: Kimironko: Peace and Hope Initiative donates school materials to children from vulnerable families
All this is being done in collaboration with the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) and UNDP in order to continue to improve the living standards of the people, especially the low-income, with a focus on women and people with disabilities.
