15 orphanages to close

By the end of this year, 15 of the 33 recognized orphanages in the country will have closed, The Sunday Times has learnt.The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Children (NCC), Zaina Nyiramatama, said over the weekend that owners of the centres will establish income generating activities to support reunited families.“Following the closure of Mpore Pefa orphanage in Kicukiro District, two more will close before end of this month as children there have also been reunited,” Nyiramatama said.The two are Centre Girimpuhwe Remera in Gatsibo and Sainte Elisabeth de Hongrie in Gicumbi District.Nyiramatama made the remarks in an exclusive interview shortly after the first ever interactive live radio and television talk-show about the government programme aimed at reuniting children in orphanages with their families.“Professionals will be seconded to the orphanages to gather more information on parents, relatives or families of the children,” Nyiramatama said.She emphasised that previous studies had revealed that a big number of children in various orphanages countrywide have at least a parent or relative.According to her, the presence of orphanages in certain areas has also contributed to parents abandoning their children. Kigali has the highest number of children in orphanages, unlike other districts such as Burera and Nyabihu which she said had none.Currently, there are 3,323 children in orphanages countrywide and NCC records indicate that children are taken to orphanages aged below 3 years.Mpore Pefa, which has been in operation since 1991, closed last Friday after the Government in collaboration with Hope and Homes for Children, an international NGO, reunited 51 children from the orphanage into their respective families.