Kura Umenye

Rwanda has taken significant stps to improve the legal and institutional framework for the protection of the rights of children. Various social policies and strategies have been established, different plans developed and programmes have also been implemented. In spite of these care for their children adequately.
According to the Integrated Household Living Condition Survey 6 (EICV 6), poverty, family conflicts, lack of stable homes, limited level of education, poor management of resources are major threats to child security and safety in their homes. These factors are also the root causes of child rights violation and poor parenting skills of caregivers.
As a results, many children from broken families suffer from abuse, neglect, abandonment, drug abuse and child labour. In the worst case, they go to live on the streets and develop mental related issues.
According to the National Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (2015/16), 42% of boys and 26% of girls aged 13-17 have been victims of physical violence, while 12% of girls and 5% of boys aged 13-17 reported exposure to sexual violence.
SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda through the KURA UMENYE PROJECT will strengthen families through economic empowerment, parenting skills’ development and targeted service delivery to ensure access to essential services such as education, healthcare, improving young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services and psychosocial support interventions.
Furthermore, the project will build the capacity of child protection struc- tures, health workers, school mentors and focus on remedial learning systems strengthening.

OBJECTIVES
Caregivers and child protection community structures respond to the needs and rights of vulnerable children.
Children faced with hardship learning conditions (underperformance, drop out) are retained in schools and successfully complete their education.
Mental and adolescent reproductive health and rights needs of children and young people are met by school and community health structures.

TARGET GROUP
Education
30,240 vulnerable children (age 8 to 18) and 480 teachers
Family strengthening and Family reintegration of children living on the streets
4,000 children/youth from 1,000 families
Mental health & psychosocial support and adolescent sexual reproductive health
30,240 vulnerable children
INTERVENTIONS
• Strengthen the caregivers’ capacity to provide quality care to children and young people
• Build the capacity and provide support to child protection structures to support vulnerable children and caregivers
• Implement a community-based rehabilitation approach (strategy) for 1000 street children
• Economic empowerment through revolving system of one cow per vulnerable family targeting 160 households to improve food security
• Provide education support to 500 children and young people (school fees, uniforms and scholastic materials)
• Provide 280 small animals (pigs, goats, rabbits, lambs, chicken) for animal husbandry based on need assessment
• Support 500 caregivers with farming seeds (beans, Irish potatoes) for food security
• Support 262 youth with vocational training based on need assessment and provision of start-up kits to graduates
• Establish remedial learning classes in 120 schools with a target of 30,240 children
• Establish 240 in-school health clubs (SRHR and mental health & psychosocial support)
• Support the organisation of community outreach activities related to SRHR and mental health & psychosocial related issues among children and young people
• Capacity building of 240 teacher mentors to provide psychosocial support to vulnerable children
• Train 123 mental health professionals at health centres on narrative therapy and community work to help children with mental related issues

PARTNERS

External partners
SOS Children’s Villages Denmark Hempel Foundation
Central level partners
MIGEPROF, NCDA, NRS, MINEDUC, REB, NESA, MOH, RBC, MINALOC
Districts
Musanze, Kayonza, Gicumbi, Nyamagabe, Huye, Rwamagana, Bugesera, Gasabo.