To review the Gera Ku Ntego Youth Project (GKN) implementation status, its steering committee met on 25th July 2022 at Hôtel Sainte Famille Kigali. The participant emphasized strengthening the collaboration between the implementers Caritas, stakeholders, and Caritas Rwanda.
In his opening remarks, Father Oscar Kagimbura, the Secretary General of Caritas Rwanda reminded that such meeting helps the participants to learn from each other’s and exchange ideas to make the project more successful.
From October 2022 to June 2023, the Gera Ku Ntego Project has created 359 SILC groups in the 8 districts where it operates namely Nyabihu, Rutsiro, Huye, Gisagara, Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Burera and Gicumbi. These saving groups have saved 113,140,430 Rwf and more than 75% of them use mobile money for transactions. The loan borrowed by the SILC members is 56,356,864. The SILCs groups were linked to financial institutions: RIMU murenge SACCO, Umutanguha, and BPR.
In 9 months, 4800 youth from the eight districts received supplementary technical training in Agriculture (vegetables and fruits, potatoes, …), Livestock (Piggery, poultry) Arts and crafts (shoemaking, knitting, sewing,…), and Business Services (online services, mobile money& agent banking,…). The trainees have created the income generating income-generating activities after the training.
To scale up the GKN project’s intervention, the project strengthened its collaboration with various stakeholders, such as government institutions, financial service providers, and the private sector federation to leverage GKN youth opportunities. As a result, the Rutsiro District granted 5,971,000,000 Rwf to the Urunana Gisizi SILC Group; Gicumbi District awarded the Rwamiko SILC Group with 1,500,000 Rwf to establish its Fashion Designer Business.
Through the advocacy conducted by Caritas Butare under the GKN Project, three SILC groups were awarded a total of 11,600,000 Rwandan Francs from different grant providers, while three youths (from Rutsiro and Gicumbi) received grants from the BDF and VUP worth 3,000,000Rwf.
Among other achievements, there is a delegated employee that has an office in the Ministry of Youth, who is responsible for finding out information about the opportunities for the youth, and informs the Gera Ku Ntego Project so that its beneficiaries don’t miss them.
The challenges encountered by the GKN include the delay in obtaining funding for the project; youth expectations that were too high than intended and delays in activities implementation and reporting interventions.
Recommendations
The steering committee of GKN recommends strengthening the collaboration (and communication between the coordination team, implementers, and stakeholders for gaining outstanding achievements. The meeting recommends the project encourage the beneficiaries to change their mind and own the achievements.
Another thing that was discussed in this meeting, is about the good collaboration between the project implementers and the local authorities, especially to inform them in advance when there are planned activities, engage them, and send them reports once conducted. The participants encouraged the GKN project implementers to conduct presentations on the project when they are participating in events or activities involving youth people.
Gera Ku Ntego Youth Project was initiated by the Catholic Relief Service Rwanda and is implemented by Caritas Butare, Caritas Cyangugu, Caritas Byumba, and Caritas Nyundo in close collaboration and coordination with Caritas Rwanda, and aims to strengthen a sustainable pathway to scale youth approaches that are responsive to needs, opportunities, and priorities in Rwanda.