KIREHE– The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Aloisea Inyumba, has warned parents against neglecting their parental responsibility.

The minister made the remarks Thursday while visiting Early Childhood Development

Centres (ECDC’s) in Kirehe District.

The centres were initiated by the ministry with support from the Global Fund, where infants are fed well and schooled, while their parents undertake routine agricultural activities.

The programme is implemented by Society for Women against AIDS in Africa (SWAA-Rwanda).

Calling for respect of children’s rights, Inyumba observed that children were abused because of parents’ negligence.

"You have to love your children...ECDC’s are models for you. Children have the right to be fed well and nourished...this should be our aim as parents. Our Ministry’s primary concern is to care for the whole family,” she said.

Gimu Shyikiro, SWAA-Rwanda project Manager, said the centres offer a solution to child abuse, warning that children left behind by parents during working hours are susceptible to abuse.

"Both parents and children are now happy...parents leave and pick their children after work. Rural parents do farm work for long hours, while they are away, wrong characters take the advantage to abuse the children,” he said.

Shyikiro said that SWAA-Rwanda has so far established ten centres and will soon open more.

Jeanine Uwamariya, a parent testified that the programme helps needy parents look after their children.

"Today our children look healthy. We were given what we lacked most; child nutrition and general basic needs. We are so organised that we have started contributing food at the centres,” she said.

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