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September 25, 2023

3,342 households from Ngororero, Burera, Rubavu, Nyabihu, Rutsiro and Karongi districts (Western and Northern Provinces of Rwanda) affected by the floods and landslides of May 2023, have received assistance through EA 17-23/RRF Project. This project was implemented by Caritas Rwanda, in collaboration with local authorities, Caritas Internationalis and diocesan Caritas, with funding granted by Caritas Italiana, Caritas Korea, Caritas Japan, Caritas Slovenia, CRS, Trócaire and other people of good will.

The figures published by the Ministry of Emergency Management on May 13, show that these floods and landslides killed 135 people, left 110 injured and destroyed 5,963 houses. The populations affected by the floods and landslides were immediately evacuated to 83 emergency sites. Caritas Rwanda, in collaboration with diocesan Caritas, approached the affected people to comfort them, and called on everyone to collect funds, needed equipments and food to help them. Below are the donations collected:

Donor

Donations in euros
Diocesan Caritas 250,917
CRS 221,971
TROCAIRE 84,457
Caritas Italiana 30,000
Caritas Rwanda 28,340
Caritas Korea 28,057
Caritas Japan 10,000
Caritas Slovenia 10,000
People with good will 1,133
Total 664.875

 

The donations collected equal to Frw 759,000,000. To provide the assistance, Caritas Rwanda collaborated with diocesan Caritas and local authorities to select the most vulnerable beneficiaries, following the criteria below:

– Households with children under 5 ;

– Households headed by a widows (women);

– Households including elderly people ;

– Household headed by children (orphans at the head of the household) ;

– Households with children suffering from malnutrition or at risk ;

– Households including disabled people;

– Households that have not yet received similar support.

Caritas Kibungo donated food to Caritas Nyundo-Kibuye (Delivery – May 26, 2023).

The 3,342 most vulnerable households received food, clothes, hygiene kits and a cash grant for their recovery and social reintegration after the floods. The transfer of the cash grant was transferred to their mobile phones, where 625 households received Frw 50,000 (each household), while the remaining 2,717 received Frw 92,000 (each household).

Use of the cash grant received

From 16th to 18th August, 2023, a team composed of staff from Caritas Rwanda, Caritas Internationalis, the diocesan Caritas of Ruhengeri and Nyundo (Gisenyi zone and Kibuye zone) and local authorities, visited the populations affected by the May 2023 floods in Burera, Rubavu and Karongi, districts, that received assistance under EA17-2023/RRF Project.

During this visit, the joint team noted that some families used the cash grant to rebuild their houses but with solid foundations as advised by local authorities. Others have invested in small livestock with a view to producing manure and selling the young at the market for economic development, while others have started small income-generating activities.

Bonifride Nayubusa bought a sheep to have manure and lambs. She also bought her son’s school materials with the remaining money.

The joint team encouraged the affected populations to remain strong, and always seek to promote their economic development. As for the families supported, they expressed their gratitude to Caritas at all levels and the local authorities, for the physical and moral support.

Father Oscar Kagimbura, Secretary General of Caritas Rwanda, addressing the people affected by the May 2023 floods, in Burera District.

They testified that the support they received from Caritas served as a lesson to them and affirmed that from now on they will help other people in need. “We received love, and we can’t waste this love that our brothers and sisters showed us. We learned the lesson that will help us. Even if we are not rich, we will help other families whose houses are destroyed, once they get permission to rebuild”, said Jean Claude Siborurema, one of the people affected by the floods of May 2023, from Burera district.

September 22, 2023

74 Field Agents from the Burera, Rulindo and Nyabihu districts identified and trained by the USAID-funded Gikuriro Kuri Bose Program (implemented by Caritas Rwanda) were certified as Private Service Providers (PSP) from 12th to 14th September 2023. The skills acquired will enable them to continue extending the economic strengthening services by creating, coaching, and mentoring saving groups in the community.

Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) are a type of community savings group that the GKB program has adopted to strengthen the livelihoods of the people it serves. To mentor SILCs, the Gikuriro Kuri Bose program recruited and trained community-based field agents, whose responsibilities are to promote SILC activities, mentor SILC members, supervise SILCs, and prepare quarterly reports on the groups’ performance over a given period, usually one year corresponding to a savings cycle for the groups they mentor.

Oral exam of Field Agents on 19th July 2023 in Burera District.

To continually build the capacity of field agents, the GKB program holds a monthly review meeting. This meeting shares important information on the economic opportunities, resources, and support available to the community to resolve issues and challenges. To ensure accountability, towards the end of the first year, field agents undergo an assessment of their performance through an individual oral examination by program staff, complemented by an evaluation by the SILC group members they have coached through an organized group discussion.

Certification ceremony of GKB field agents as PSP in Burera District on September 12, 2023.

The process enables field agents who have passed the assessment to become Private Service Providers (PSPs) with the capacity to establish private savings groups on their own, and established private savings groups are required to pay a service fee if they are satisfied with the support provided by PSPs (Private Service Providers).

The certification events of the 74 PSP in the three districts involved the GKB staff and leadership, districts’ officials as well as local leaders.

August 24, 2023

With the aim of promoting assistive delivery, and preventing pregnancy complications and death during delivery, on 22nd August 2023, Caritas Rwanda through the USAID funded program Gikuriro Kuri Bose (GKB), in collaboration with Burera District, awarded mothers of babies under 2, who conducted 4 ANC standard visits while pregnant as required by the Ministry of Health.

Rwanda’s Ministry of Health is encouraging pregnant women to attend the four visits scheduled during the antenatal care period and to follow the advice given to them by healthcare providers, to ensure the good health of both mother and baby.

The rewarding event of the outstanding mothers took place in the Kinoni Sector of Burera District, and was attended by the Mayor of the district Nshimiyimana Jean Baptiste, the Gikuriro Kuri Bose nutrition advisor at the national level, health facilities managers, Community Health Workers, and local communities.

200 mothers of children under the age of 2 who completed 4 standard prenatal visits during their pregnancy received a hen each, to help them feed their children with eggs. 4 Community Health Workers were also rewarded with kitchen utensils for encouraging mothers to complete the 4 standard prenatal care visits.

4 CHW received kitchen utensils as award.

The health centers that distinguished themselves in the promotion of this program, namely Kirambo, Ndongozi, and Kivuye, received appreciation awards.

Kirambo, Ndongozi and Kivuye Health centers managers, receiving the appreciation awards.

A total of 3,490 mothers of children under the age of 2 will be rewarded in all sectors of the Burera district.

August 22, 2023

On 16th August 2023, Caritas Rwanda conducted a field visit to its Gikuriro Kuri Bose Program (GKB) and RRF Project activities in Burera District. The delegation met the district leaders and the populations affected by the 2nd-3rd May 2023 flooding who were assisted by the RRF Project and visited one of the ECDs supported by Gikuriro Kuri Bose.

The activities of GKB Program, implemented by Caritas Rwanda and funded by USAID, include the fight against acute malnutrition. As it was said in the meeting between Caritas Rwanda delegation and Burera District leaders held on 16th August 2023, GKB Program is handling the problem of acute malnutrition among under five children in Burera District. As for the 2019-2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey, 41% of children under 5 suffer from acute malnourished in Burera.

Mwanangu Theophile, the Vice Mayor of Burera District, in charge of social affairs, said that Caritas Rwanda is a good partner, because their activities are successful.  “GKB came at the time we needed interventions in nutrition because we had a problem of acute malnutrition among children under five. For example, they have brought an unusual new idea to build ECDs with the Chef Village office to supervise it”, says the Vice Mayor. He added that GKB has helped in establishing and maintaining the Village Nutrition School (VNS), and setting up parent’s committees to fight against acute malnutrition. He expressed his wish to see these VNS established in all the villages of the Burera District.

Caritas Rwanda’s team led by Father Oscar Kagimbura, met with the Burera District leaders.

Father Oscar Kagimbura, the General Secretary of Caritas Rwanda expressed his gratitude for the collaboration between Burera District and Caritas Rwanda’s staff in implementing its projects. “Joint efforts produce tangible results”, he said.

After meeting with the Burera District leaders, Caritas Rwanda’s team led by the Secretary General Father Oscar Kagimbura visited a Nurturing Care Hub located in Gatovu Village Rugari Cell, in Rwerere Sector. Father Oscar asked the parents who were present   to continue taking care of this outstanding work they have started, by supporting the caregivers so that they don’t get discouraged. “If you continue like this, this nurturing care hub will grow even more and there will be other development projects in the surrounding areas”, he said.

Caritas Rwanda team visited a Nurturing Care Hub located in Gatovu Village Rugari Cell, in Rwerere Sector.

The Caritas Rwanda team also visited the populations affected by the May 2023 flooding, who received assistance from the Caritas Rwanda RRF Project. They testified on how the support they received helped them to recover, getting food, clothes, essential household items and some of them even bought small animals that will help them develop economically and get manure. Twizerimana Marcelline, one of them, said: “We thank Caritas Rwanda and others who supported us during these hard moments. Today we are happy, now we are no longer suffering from hungry, we have clothes, we have bought things to recover. May God bless them”.

The Caritas Rwanda team visited the populations affected by the May 2023 flooding who received assistance through the EA17-2023/RRF Project.

Blaise Turahirwa, in charge of disaster management in Burera District, reminded the beneficiaries that the cash grant they received was intended to help them rebuild, that they should not be still focus on the consequences of the May disasters, but look for ways to help them progress economically.

2,000 households from Rubavu, Rutsiro, Nyabihu Ngororero and Karongi districts were assisted by Caritas Rwanda through the RRF Project. In Burera District, there are 562 families. Each family received a cash grant of 92,000 Frw (for each district).

August 11, 2023

On the 3rd of June, the steering committee meeting of the Slovenia Government and Karitas Slovenija-funded Tube Aheza, Amazi Hafi Project was held at Home Saint-Jean. The meeting was graced by the Karongi district Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development Mr NIRAGIRE Théophile, Mr NIYONSABA Cyriack, the Executive Secretary of the Rugabano sector and priests from the Gisovu, Nyange and Mukungu parishes located in the sectors

August 9, 2023

On the 3rd of June, the steering committee meeting of the Slovenia Government and Karitas Slovenija-funded Tube Aheza, Amazi Hafi Project was held at Home Saint-Jean. The meeting was graced by the Karongi district Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development Mr NIRAGIRE Théophile, Mr NIYONSABA Cyriack, the Executive Secretary of the Rugabano sector and priests from the Gisovu, Nyange and Mukungu parishes located in the sectors

July 31, 2023

On the 3rd of June, the steering committee meeting of the Slovenia Government and Karitas Slovenija-funded Tube Aheza, Amazi Hafi Project was held at Home Saint-Jean. The meeting was graced by the Karongi district Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development Mr NIRAGIRE Théophile, Mr NIYONSABA Cyriack, the Executive Secretary of the Rugabano sector and priests from the Gisovu, Nyange and Mukungu parishes located in the sectors

July 27, 2023

On the 3rd of June, the steering committee meeting of the Slovenia Government and Karitas Slovenija-funded Tube Aheza, Amazi Hafi Project was held at Home Saint-Jean. The meeting was graced by the Karongi district Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development Mr NIRAGIRE Théophile, Mr NIYONSABA Cyriack, the Executive Secretary of the Rugabano sector and priests from the Gisovu, Nyange and Mukungu parishes located in the sectors

July 26, 2023

On the 3rd of June, the steering committee meeting of the Slovenia Government and Karitas Slovenija-funded Tube Aheza, Amazi Hafi Project was held at Home Saint-Jean. The meeting was graced by the Karongi district Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development Mr NIRAGIRE Théophile, Mr NIYONSABA Cyriack, the Executive Secretary of the Rugabano sector and priests from the Gisovu, Nyange and Mukungu parishes located in the sectors

July 21, 2023

On the 3rd of June, the steering committee meeting of the Slovenia Government and Karitas Slovenija-funded Tube Aheza, Amazi Hafi Project was held at Home Saint-Jean. The meeting was graced by the Karongi district Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development Mr NIRAGIRE Théophile, Mr NIYONSABA Cyriack, the Executive Secretary of the Rugabano sector and priests from the Gisovu, Nyange and Mukungu parishes located in the sectors

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