Vulnerable children a priority

The vice president of Rwanda Red Cross Peter Claver Kabanda has said that orphans and street kids are one of the institution’s top priority projects.

Monday, December 10, 2007

The vice president of Rwanda Red Cross Peter Claver Kabanda has said that orphans and street kids are one of the institution’s top priority projects.

Kabanda was presiding over a four days solidarity camp (Ingando) for orphans and street children supported by Rwanda Red Cross at its headquarters, Gacuriro.

"One of our priorities at Rwanda Red Cross is dealing with orphans and vulnerable children(OVC) among our a programmes, if one wishes to go back to school, we shall help you go back,” Kabanda said while addressing 85 orphans and street children who finished their vocation training in the solidarity camp.

Kabanda encouraged the vulnerable children to work hard and build the nation. He said that Rwanda Red Cross is looking at any possibility of giving vulnerable children formal education.

Fideli Nsengimana, Rwanda Red Cross Projects Manager told The New Times that his institution is working in three provinces where thousands of vulnerable population has benefited.

Over 10,000 vulnerable children in three provinces are beneficiaries of Rwanda Red Cross through social, education and health support.

Nsengimana said it has been a challenge to identify the vulnerable children since many families have been hit by abject poverty.

"We work with local authority to identify these vulnerable children but they give us an endless list that has names.” Nsengimana said.

He said that children benefiting from Rwanda Red Cross come from Southern province Huye, Gisagara and Nyanza districts, Eastern Province and Kigali City. The vulnerable children have been taken through vocational training in catering and carpentry among others.

Other benefits the Rwanda Red Cross has provided to vulnerable children include building a complete house and registration in national insurance scheme (Mituelle de Santé) among others.

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