PARTNERSHIP:Strive Foundation’s ambitious programme

Musanze-A local organisation, Strive Foundation Rwanda, plans to set up 20 Early Childhood Care and Development Centres (ECCD) in the Northern Province, to promote child protection, education and proper upbringing of children within local communities. At least ten centres, five in each district, have been established in Musanze and Burera.  Ten more are expected be completed within the next two months. Bernard Muramira, the president of the foundation, said communities should own child development by ensuring feeding, sanitation, and hygiene at the centres and offering necessary support to the care givers. The organisation supports the ECCD centres by providing bedding, utensils, cattle, furniture, sports equipment and training to care givers on specific ECCD policies as well as child upbringing techniques. "People should not always depend on others for survival, everyone should tap the available opportunities to move to another level, everyone should set goals,” Muramira said. As part of the support to vulnerable families, the foundation yesterday donated 150 pigs and 200 goats to over 60 members of Duteze imbere abana association, composed of very poor families in Cyuve and Kimonyi. Members of the association started by contributing Rwf 500 each and have now raised over Rwf 800,000 which they plan to invest in business.  "Our children lacked school fees, others had dropped out. Through this association we want to send all our children to school. We want to save and set up income generating projects,” said Gakuru Thomas, the association president. Musanze District Mayor, Winifridah Mpembyemungu, noted that moving away from poverty requires determination and belief that families themselves can work, save and start small scale income generating activities. "This requires mind set change, we should believe that we can change our status, we should set priorities. People have to change the way they have been doing work, by adding value,” Mpembyemungu said.Strive Foundation Rwanda has 30 ECDCs in the country so far. The others are in Nyamasheke and Rusizi Districts.