Children with intellectual and physical disability based in Ineza Kabaya Center located in Musanze, on December 17 received visits and donations from ‘We for Help’, a youth-led local charity initiative.
"We are so thankful to see young people helping our beneficiaries. Often, people with mental health issues lack enough support and advocacy. Now we believe that the best for them is possible since the government took it into consideration, and these young girls and boys who came to visit will be the leaders of tomorrow and won’t forget these kids,” said Antoinette Makuta, the founder of the centre.
Jean Damascene Munyaribanje, Coordinator Of People With Disability in Musanze District, told The New Times that they are so thankful and it is not just a blessing to see individuals who are willing to support people with disabilities, but it is also a big sign that they won’t lack anything at all.
‘We For Help’ initiative visited the children and donated building materials among other things.
He added, "I am overwhelmed with joy right now. Personally, I can neither walk nor see properly. Seeing me stand like this, it was all because someone helped to get me treatment after an accident I had. This shows that the future of people with disabilities is as bright as anyone else’s.”
Parents who have their kids at Ineza Kabaye, a special centre for children with intellectual and other disabilities, are so grateful to the founders of the centre and everyone who does what they can to ensure the well-being of the children. They stay at the centre for a three-month period until time for normal academic holidays.
Providence Nyiraneza, a parent of one of the beneficiaries, told this publication that she used to hide her daughter due to the fact that she has mental health issues, and is now grateful that her child gets the help she needs at the centre as it does an amazing job with the kids.
Parents with their kids at Ineza Kabaya Center.
"To other parents who have children with intellectual disabilities, treat them with enough love and kindness. They are like any other child. Never hide them, take them to these centres, it is so helpful and it can improve their wellbeing since they meet their counterparts and feel at home,” Nyiraneza said.
‘We for Help’ started in 2020 with the purpose of doing charity drive courses. Some of their prior events were visiting patients at Univeristy Teaching Hospital (CHUK), covering vulnerable patients’ bills in hospitals, paying health insurance for disadvantaged families, visiting underprivileged children in ECD Muyange/Kicukiro and now, visiting children with disabilities at Ineza Kabaya Center/Musanze.
Antoinette Makuta, the founder of Ineza Kabaya
On their visit to the centre, they took construction materials like cement since the centre is building a place for the kids, some supporting materials for kids with disabilities, and food.
Clemence Umukundwa Tuyishimire, the founder of ‘We for Help’, expressed her gratitude to everyone who supported this course. "Special thanks to everyone who played a part in this event. We are so glad that it was successful and the kids were so happy, which is meaningful to us all.”
Ineza Kabaya, a special centre for children with intellectual disabilities, was founded in 2005, in Ngororero District, by Makuta, a mother of three. She did this with help from her husband. Inspiration, she says, came from being childless for a long time in her marriage, to the point that she prayed for a child, even if the child had a disability. She was eventually blessed with two kids with no disability, and so she started the centre as a way to help children who had disabilities.
So far, the centre has managed to help 152 children with disabilities. They provide treatment, advocacy, and training in craft-making. In 2012, the National Commission of Child visited the centre and has since given them a supportive allowance of Rwf 1,714,000 on an annual basis. Other than that, the centre mostly operates with donors.
For any queries you can reach Antoinette Makuta on 0788649127.