SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE — The Urunana/Umuhoza Rural Extension Project (UREP) has wrapped up its activities in five districts of the province.

The European Union funded project, which started operations in 2005, officially ended its business, last Friday.

The project’s interventions involved finding ways of alleviating poverty through awareness campaigns on various issues especially Sexual and Reproductive Health.

It mainly targeted youths and women cooperatives in the districts of Huye, Nyanza, Gisagara, Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, the Health Unlimited Country Manager, Dr Livingstone Byamungu, said there is currently a remarkable behavioural change especially among women associations due to the project’s intervention.

"We have witnessed a reduction in the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate from 5 percent to around 3 percent today. This can partly be attributed to the impact the programme has had on rural communities especially through radio drama,” he said.

"Many people in local communities have greatly benefited from the local radio drama ‘Urunana’ that was partly supported by the project. Feedback from the local people through the sister radio programme ‘Umuhoza’ was impressive,”he added.

Through the different women and youths associations, the project donated radios and other media kits to encourage discussion on issues of reproductive health.

Dr Byamungu, dispelled fears that the popular local language radio drama- Urunana will end with the project.

Charles Rutikanga, the project coordinator, explained that prior to the project launch, feedback from different groups showed a general lack of knowledge on reproductive health.

He further added that cooperatives need support in form of start up capital for self sustenance.

Presenting the end term evaluation findings, Dr Mike Karangwa, said that the project was largely a success. He attributed this to close cooperation between the project staff and the beneficiaries.

Karangwa noted that despite the high turn over of project staff, much of the project work plan was implemented. He revealed that over 70 percent of project’s planned activities was implemented in the last two years of the project.

A new 3-year project that will mainly focus on reproductive health among youths is set to follow. It will operate in the districts of Gisagara and Nyaruguru.

Ends