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"There are so many young girls that have become pregnant, facing serious consequences of having to drop out of school, and not being able to stay with their families"
Some of the 60 people, predominantly teen mothers, who completed a vocational training programme at Cyanika TVET school. Their training was sponsored by a Major Donor (private donor) through Trócaire and Duterimbere ONG. Photo: Trócaire
Inside Gaudence Mukansanga’s (18) workshop in Nyamagabe, Southern Rwanda there are new materials including a hammer, a shoe stand, a cutter, spare leather and threads. There are also new sandals and damaged shoes that she will repair – a sign that her new business is getting clients.
Gaudence says this makes her believe that this is an important turning-point in her life following years of hardship and poverty.
Gaudence Mukansanga’s (18) is one of the 60 people, predominantly teen mothers, who completed a vocational training programme at Cyanika TVET school. Photo: Trócaire
Several years ago, when Gaudence’s father died and her mother was sent to jail, Gaudence was forced to drop out of school to look after her younger brother.
“I had to become the head of the household at a young age because I am the eldest child. I had to drop out of school to be able to take care of my brother. In the past, it was hard for me to get money to meet basic needs. Now, I am earning money from this business. I can earn between Rwf 4,000-6,000 (€3-€5) per day depending on the day,” said Gaudence.
Gaudence is one of the 60 people, predominantly teen mothers, who completed a vocational training programme at Cyanika TVET school. Their training was sponsored by a Major Donor (private donor) through Trócaire and Duterimbere ONG. Following the training, the programme participants got start-up tool kits and are now applying the knowledge from the vocational training.
“I got the shoe making skills at Cyanika TVET School. Trócaire and Duterimbere ONG paid my school fees and provided me with school materials. After we had completed the vocational training, they also gave us the start-up tool kits with which we launched a shoe making and repair business,” Guadence added.
Trócaire’s Country Director in Rwanda, Marleen Masclee, said the programme provides a small contribution to the huge issue of teen pregnancies in Rwanda.
“Trócaire is working with its partners such as Duterimbere ONG, and we are in close collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, the Gender Monitoring Office but also with district authorities and local authorities in the communities that we work.
“Through all those stakeholders, we have been informed about the challenges that teen mothers are facing. There are so many young girls that have become pregnant, facing serious consequences of having to drop out of school, and not being able to stay with their families. They have to sometimes leave the house and try to fend for themselves. Together with the local authorities we have come up with this project so that we can provide a small contribution to solve this large problem,” Marleen said.
Following their training, the people in the programme set up a loan and savings group to work together to further improve their living conditions.
Alphonsine Mukarugendo is one of the founding members of the group and says the group are already seeing the benefits of working together.
Alphonsine Mukarugendo Photo: Trócaire
“In the past we did not have saving and loan associations because we did not have money to save. We also wasted even the small money that we got because we knew nothing about small savings,” Alphonsine said.
“When we save money, any member who has an urgent need applies for a loan and pays it back with a small interest rate. We are planning that once we hit our annual savings target, we will rent an appropriate house where we will establish our dressmaking workshop.”
Muhigana Alexis, the Director of studies at Cyanika TVET, said the savings group is going to make the project more impactful because the community is working together to move forward.
“The project stood out as unique by providing start-up tool kits to beneficiaries. Another good initiative that they started this year, is helping the programme participants to work through village saving and loan association. This helps in ensuring that the beneficiaries learn from one another, work together and put to good use the materials provided to them, “ said Muhigana.
With the project creating unprecedented impact in the lives of teen mothers who in the past were socially rejected, there are calls from members of the community, local leaders and programme participants themselves for the extension of the interventions.
Trócaire’s Country Director in Rwanda, Marleen Masclee, added:
“The needs are huge. And we see the needs are not only in the Southern Province, we see them actually everywhere in the country where Trócaire works. For us, this is extremely important for having successfully carried out this pilot phase because we can go to other donors and showcase the success, the impact that this kind of support has.”
“Trócaire is committed to extend our support to other areas where this is needed as long as we can do this in strong collaboration with our local partners including local authorities, TVET management as well as stakeholders,” Marleen said.
