Last week four Rwandan women received the Women of Courage Award from Erica J Barks-Ruggles, the US Ambassador to Rwanda. This was the first time the award was coming to Rwanda.

Since 2007, the US government has been awarding women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for human rights, social justice, and women’s equality and advancement.

Xaverine Mukamunana, the founder of Association JyamubandiMwana which helps the underprivileged and disabled youth was among those awarded.

She started the association in 2002 after realising the challenges that parents with children with special needs endured. She also went through the same challenge after giving birth to a disabled child.

" I gave birth to a child who was disabled and the challenges I encountered were unbearable. I even quit my job. I spent close to a year in hospital in Gahini to see to it that my child would be able to walk,” Mukamunana says.

Following this experience, Mukamunana welcomed parents of handicapped children to her home in Gatsata and guided them in physiotherapy.

"It was a way to share experience but I was surprised at how the number kept on increasing. We decided to meet every Tuesday and Friday. With time, the number became overwhelming and we felt that something needed to be done, thus the birth of Jyamubandi Mwana,” Mukamunana says.

Jyamubandi Mwana has a centre for children with mental or physical disabilities. The centre is located in Nyacyonga, Akamatamu Village, Jabana Sector in Gasabo District.

"Our centre provides shelter for children who are mentally or physically handicapped and we strive to offer these children social and educational support. We set up the centre with a vision that all children have the right to education and to grow normally under care,” Mukamunana explains.

Although the centre has a few full time employees, they survive mainly on support of volunteers, also referred to as "the mothers.” The centre is comprised of physiotherapists, teachers, a cooking team and social assistants. The centre currently consists of 57 children. It offers socio-educative activities such as physiotherapy. Children with more severe cases of disability are reside at the centre and only go to their families during the holidays.

"Like any association, we have goals and at the moment, our wish is to have better facilities for these children. We secured a big plot of land and we are looking for resources to construct facilities. The other challenge is that some parents abandon their children and don’t even pick them up for the holidays. After this, I made it a point to know the home of each child at the centre,even those that we send to the different schools in Gasabo District,” Mukamunana says.

Besides the gifts given by different people, Handicap International is the main funder of JyamubandiMwana.

"We also provide these children with vocational trainings such as sewing, making beads and making shoes, among many other income generating activities. With such skills, these children can survive even with their disabilities. They deserve to have a life and we always ask parents to give children with disabilities the same attention or even more as that they give to normal children,” Mukamunana says.

Valarie Nyiramivumbi, a parent whose child is a beneficiary of Jyamubandi Mwana, describes Mukamunana as a selfless person.

"I first met Mukamunana when we were both treating our disabled children at Gahini Hospital. Her enthusiasm for taking care of children with special needs is out of this world,” Nyiramivumbi says.

Nyiramivumbi is also an advisor to parents of children with special needs.

"For one to take care of children with special needs they require a lot of patience and Mukamunana has that. I’m always mesmerised at how she does it. It’s amazing how the children enjoy her presence,” Nyiramivumbi explains.

Cecile Muterampudu, also a member of Jyamubandi Mwana and a resident of Gatsata, says that she first met Mukamunana as a colleague of her husband.

"Mukamunana is someone who gives hope to the hopeless. It’s amazing how she has impacted families with handicapped children for the last 13 years. I recently met a disabled boy who was a beneficiary of Jyamubandi Mwana making shoes in Gatsata and he told me he owed his promising business and the skills he gained to Mukamunana. If we were to get testimonies, they are many,” Muterampudu says.

Muterampudu adds: "For so many years Mukamunana has given hope to children with disabilities even in cases where their biological parents gave up on them. She is a role model to many.”

doreen.umutesi@newtimes.co.rw