During their Journey of Hope in Rwanda to better understand the work carried out by CRS Rwanda and meet key stakeholders and partners, the CRS Board members and donors met with Caritas Rwanda team on Friday 26th January 2024. The conversation centered on the two organizations’ current partnership, fundraising strategies, and potential future knowledge sharing.
On the first day of their visit (January 22), these visitors together with CRS Rwanda and Caritas Rwanda staff attended a holy mass celebration at Saint Michel Cathedral. The visitors also met with his eminence Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, and they discussed the ongoing CRS partnership with the Catholic Church in Rwanda.
The delegation also paid a visit to the Youth for Youth Project participants (implemented by the 3 diocesan Caritas and Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle, under the coordination of Caritas Rwanda and funding from USAID through CRS Rwanda) from the Rubavu District on 23rd January 2024, where they visited Jean D’Amour Tubanambazi, who cultivates mushrooms and combat the malnutrition in his local community, and Irakoze Obed who owns an agro-veterinary Pharmacy.
After meeting the Youth entrepreneurs, the guests visited as well the Diocese of Nyundo met Bishop Anaclet Mwumvaneza and discussed the ongoing partnership between CRS and the Diocese of Nyundo. Bishop Anaclet appreciated the support offered by CRS as a rapid response to the floods that affected the Diocese.
On 25th January 2024, at Nyirabashenyi Nurturing Care Hub in Nyabihu District, Gikuriro Kuri Bose team hosted the CRS country office representatives (donors, board members, Vice president), a trip to learn more about inclusive nutrition, food security, economic strengthening and ECD interventions to improve optimal nurturing care practices among families having children under five years. Caritas Rwanda was represented by Father Jean Paul, director of Caritas Nyundo/Gisenyi.
The Nyabihu District leaders appreciated the tremendous achievements of Gikuriro Kuri Bose Program (2015-2020), great contribution in stunting reduction from 59% in 2015 to 46% in 2020. They have also commended CRS and Caritas Rwanda for the effective collaboration and partnership in Nyabihu.