Malayika Umurinzi (translated as ‘Guardian Angel), a community mobilization campaign initiated by the First Lady Jeannette Kagame, to encourage adoption and protection of vulnerable children, is to facilitate the creation of networks at district level.

The networks will act as fora for sharing best practices, open dialogue, and encouraging the community to care for orphans and other vulnerable children, as well as raise awareness on child rights and protection.

This was revealed yesterday during the first Malayika Umurinzi forum that attracted over 200 members across the country, who currently adopt children under the campaign’s initiative.

The forum was also attended by Jeanne Gakuba, the vice Mayor of Gasabo District, Regine Iyamuremye, the Executive Secretary of Unity Club.

In her address, Gakuba commended the attitude of families that decided to adopt orphans and take care of them as their own.

She compared their efforts to the work of the First Lady as a promotion of the country’s bright youthful future.
"If the First Lady as an individual can touch all these lives, imagine what all of you can do if you worked together,” she said.

"Most of you don’t necessarily live under the best conditions, yet you have set an example in your communities, exemplifying that it is each adult’s responsibility to protect, care for and educate children.”

Iyabaremye said that the networks would facilitate the exchange of experiences between the families, particularly on the psychological aspect involved in adopting children.

"The networks between Malayika Umurinzi members will ensure ownership, monitoring, and sustainability of the efforts.

She also revealed that members from Musanze District have already formed an association where they meet regularly to discuss challenges they face with adopted children and find ways to solve them.

The participants later discussed challenges they faced and urged that a forum that brings together the adopted children be initiated in the future.

Malayika Umurinzi was set up in 2007 and consists of identifying and rewarding adults who have shown remarkable compassion and selflessness, by adopting and caring for vulnerable children, as well as protecting them from harm.

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