Youth urged to act as agents of change

Youth need to be engaged, mobilised and empowered to become leaders and agents of social change. The Vice Chairperson of Imbuto Foundation, Rita Zirimwabagabo, made the remarks at Rwanda Military Hospital, yesterday, during a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the prevention of HIV/AIDS among the youth. Initiated by the Organisation of African First Ladies (OAFLA) and spearheaded in Rwanda by the Office of the First Lady, through Imbuto Foundation, and the Ministry of Health, the ‘All–In’ campaign is held under the theme ‘From commitment to action’ to address HIV/AIDS among the youth. It is aimed at reaching adolescents in several capacities by engaging, mobilising and empowering them, as leaders and actors of social change, and placing adolescent HIV firmly on political agendas. The ‘All–In” campaign aims also at assessing the challenges and opportunities within adolescent sexual reproductive health and concentrating on HIV prevention. Zirimwabagabo said the efforts of this campaign can only be reached if the social norms that surround sexual education are changed. “Imbuto (Kinyarwanda word for ‘seed’) has a motto: educate, engage and empower, indeed as the name suggests once you plant a seed and you tend to it very well it grows into a strong, firm beautiful-looking tree and that’s the kind of nation we want to build for Rwanda,” Zirimwabagabo said. Mrs. Rita Zirimwabagabo is joined by Sonia Ndirimba, Executive Secretary of OAFLA (left) during the event held at the Rwanda Military Hospital This year, Imbuto Foundation is celebrating 15 years of working towards ‘the development of a healthy, educated and prosperous society’. The organisation works with different partners to sensitise and educate the youth on HIV prevention, sexual reproductive awareness, including support on Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC). Last year, roughly 6000 boys were circumcised in Rubavu District under Imbuto Foundation’s awareness drive. Efforts to address HIV among the youth are done through nationwide projects to eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of the virus (EMTCT); various activities involving voluntary counselling and testing; and community mobilisation to actively fight the spread of the virus, Imbuto Foundation re-affirmed its commitment to continue interventions among young people to address the issue of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases. The Minister for Defence Honourable James Kabarebe, thanked Imbuto Foundation for partnering with Rwanda Military Hospital, Kanombe in the campaign. “In the same spirit RDF has embarked on a similar campaign sensitising the youth in secondary schools countrywide about HIV prevention, and has covered about half of the districts in the country,” he pointed out. He also said that the partnership aligns well with the role and mission of RDF; to protect and preserve the lives of Rwandans. Kabarebe said ignorance can be addressed through increased awareness-raising campaigns. Ngiruwonsanga Ildephonse gives his testimony on the benefits of the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision programme. Starting this month, this partnership will help carry forward the mission of the ‘All-In’ campaign through the voluntary medical male circumcision programme. The first circumcisions on 15-24 year old men took place, yesterday, under the new partnership at the military hospital. In addition, hundreds of young men will undergo circumcision in the next few days at various district hospitals. This exercise is part of on-going national efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, as studies showed that circumcision reduces the rate of HIV infection by 60 per cent. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Youth urged to act as agents of change