Nyaruguru residents embrace family planning

NYARURGURU - Residents of Rusenge Sector in Nyaruguru district have responded positively to the family planning campaign launched by community health advisors, officials say. In one month alone, 106 families in the sector had enrolled for family planning services at Kibirizi Health Center, following a week long sensitisation campaign last month. Jeannine Niyonizeye, the officer in charge of community health advisors committee in the sector attributed the low use of family planning methods on ignorance. “The people we talked to knew nothing about family planning but after explaining to them the advantages of having a well planned family, they readily agreed to solicit for family planning services,” said Niyonizeye. “Many do not know the relevance of family planning, they don’t know the impact of having many children because not every body gets the chance to listen to such programmes on radio,” she added. Agnes Mukabagorora, 47, a mother of seven said that she joined family planning programme after being sensitised on the dangers of having big families. “It was necessary for us to practice family planning because seven children were already many compared to our ability to provide for them,” Mukabagorora said. Fabien Niyitegeka, the Executive Secretary of the sector said that 43 per cent of the families in the sector had embraced the programme and that many more are expected to join. Ends