NORTHERN PROVINCE MUSANZE — Over 70 orphaned children selected from ten sectors of Musanze district, including a teenage mother, have completed a six-month vocational training. The children graduated on Tuesday and they displayed handcrafts made out of their acquired skills at the ceremony held at the school, Centre Dushishoze. The youth, many of whom are school dropouts, were trained in different vocational skills including tailoring, soap making and making Vaseline. They were also offered lessons on micro project formulation, HIV/AIDS and how to prepare projects that could win funding. Apoline Mutuyimana from Remera Sector who had given birth 9 months before the course, managed to complete the training with her baby boy. She said that she would use the weaving skills she acquired for self support and to support her baby-as she expects little support from the 20-year old man who fathered her child. The training was organised by APROGEDEFARWA cooperative in partnership with Abanyamurava Association and with funding from the Global Fund. During the closing ceremony, Hassan Munyarukiko, the coordinator of APROGEDEFARWA, asked the youths to utilise the skills acquired to support themselves and their families. The youth who graduated with similar skills were grouped and five cooperatives were formed to ease their cooperation. The participants were awarded certificates of merit and given work tools like sewing machines and other equipment. Ends
