WESTERN PROVINCE

Despite numerous family planning campaigns in the country, scores of residents in Karongi district have continued to shun the practice.

"What if I produce one kid and he dies? Why should I give birth to one kid, God gave me the capacity to produce many? I love having very many kids around me," are some of the remarks many residents make in defence of large families.

Indeed most people’s views are totally in contrast with the government’s family planning campaign.

On many occasions, while talking about issues of health, local leaders talk about family planning, but the villagers seem not to heed the advice. This Monday the district Mayor, Bernard Kayumba expressed concerns over the failure by residents to adopt family planning methods.

"People have failed to adopt family planning," Kayumba said while addressing the congregation that turned up to mark the World Tuberculosis Day, at Gatwaro Stadium.

Last week, the National Aids Control Commission committed close to Frw70 million towards the Aids campaign and family planning in four sectors of Karongi district.

Last year, while celebrating the World AIDS day, Dr Innocent Nyaruhirira, the then State Minister in charge of Aids and other infectious diseases, observed that family planning was paramount in achieving development.

"We should have children we are able to look after so they can have access to quality education and other priorities," Nyaruhirira said then.

If all these efforts geared towards family planning were to be heeded, irresponsible births would have remained a riddle by now in Karongi district, but what happens!

In Kibuye Hospital, lie a 35-year old man and his family- his wife and four children- reportedly due to poor feeding. Though in poor health, the man sheepishly says he is still committed to produce more children as long as he recovers; "I have only four kids they are not enough for me," he says, ignoring the fact that he has failed to look after them and himself as well.

During a mass wedding ceremony recently in Gishyita sector, a certain man came with two wives and asked the authority to choose one for him with whom he would tie the knot. He had kids with both of them.

Speaking to Niwemugeni Mado, one of the women in the polygamous union, she regarded it as normal.

"A man is a man so he has a right to sleep wherever he wants and produce any number of children he wants," she said. Their husband has six children and still counting.

Some villagers cite culture for not adopting family planning. "

Traditionally Rwandans derived prestige from having many children. The children would help the parents in old age," said Eugene Gatare, a father of more than seven.

He explains that he produced many children because his wife was only giving birth to one sex -girls-yet to him girls are not considered children.

"Can girls protect you? They belong to their husbands when they grow up," he argued.

On several occasions people cite religious teachings for producing many children. They claim [rightly] that according to the book of Genesis, they are supposed to procreate and fill the earth. They thus consider family planning methods devoid.

"God created us to procreate," said a mother of six fondly called Mama Mutoni. She argued that a woman can not derive respect from her husband without bearing him many children.

Ends