BK Foundation, on August 6, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with five implementing partners of the IGIRE project aimed to support, protect, and strengthen vulnerable children, adolescents, families, and communities who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS with the goal of preventing new HIV infections and reducing vulnerability among OVC and their households and AGYW in high HIV burden districts in Rwanda. The IGIRE implementing partners include FXB Rwanda, YWCA Rwanda, African Evangelistic Enterprise (AEE) Rwanda, Caritas Rwanda, and DUHAMIC-ADRI. This project will be executed in five districts: Nyarugenge, Gasabo, Kicukiro, Rwamagana, and Nyamasheke, targeting 200 youth orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) supported in districts. According to officials, the partnership seeks to prevent new HIV infections and reduce vulnerability among OVCs and their households and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in high HIV burden districts in Rwanda. Ingrid Karangwayire, Executive Secretary of BK Foundation, noted that while BK Foundation was launched in 2023, the IGIRE Project Leaders were the first to reach out for a partnership and considered as a potential project to fund by considering the Impact is creating in communities where the project is being implemented. “BK Foundation gets the resources from all profit-making subsidiaries of BK Group as part of the corporate social responsibilities and community giveback, and we have decided to partner with IGIRE implementing partners because it is aligned with our strategic direction and we didn’t need to duplicate efforts but partner for impact creation.” She called on more private sector members to engage in such community-impact activities. Father Pascal Rubabaza, Coordinator of the Health Department, Caritas Rwanda, commended the partnership, together we will provide support for Rwandan OVCs infected or affected by HIV to achieve self-resilience and have access to health services. “The journey is to continue to engage more of the private sector actors to increase local resources and expand our reach to more people in need,” he noted, adding that the beneficiaries will receive health services and financial literacy. Marianna Balampama, Deputy Regional Director Africa at Pact, said that private sector engagement is a priority given that changes in the global development context and now development partners need to align their interests with the private sector. “The private sector is an instrument for economic growth as stated under Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation. The MoU signed today marks a commitment and collaborative effort to create a bigger impact on the most vulnerable young people by building their resilience and creating employment opportunities for them.” Moise Mutabazi, Project Director of ACHIEVE Rwanda, said that the partners will meet annually to evaluate the priorities, targets, and cooperation framework. IGIRE implementers are provided with technical Assistance and Capacity Development from ACHIEVE project, for Capable local partners lead and management of OVC and DREAMS programme that improves access to HIV and socio-economic services for vulnerable OVC and at-risk AGYW in Rwanda, in accordance with donor requirements.
