Reseau des Femmes project helps empower hundreds of teen mothers
A project started by Reseau des Femmes Oeuvrant Pour Le Development Rural, a women-led non-governmental organization, is helping to empower hundreds of Rwanda’s teenage mothers in Burera and Rwamagana districts through business and life skills training.
Over the past six years, the project dubbed Uri Nyampinga, has benefited 300 teenage mothers and teen girls who were offered business and vocational skills such as sewing in order to empower them economically, according to latest data availed to Nation News Rwanda.
The NGO's legal representative Xaverine Uwimana says with the acquired skills, many of these teenage mothers have a chance to create their own jobs and help their children and family.
The hearts of many of these teenage mothers are understandably lifting up with joy because they have eventually started income generating activities.
Some of the teenage mothers are now producing cosmetic products while others are involved in tailoring after being equipped with the necessary skills, Uwimana said.
Uri Nyampinga project has also helped improve social-economic conditions of the teenage mothers’ families.
In addition, some 75 teenage mothers who had dropped out of school were reenrolled, helping them revive their academic goals, according to Uwimana.
The project, implemented in partnership with Kvinna Till Kvinna also conducts awareness campaigns to enlighten teen girls on how to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
It has also helped to socially reintegrate teenage mothers in families and community.
Other areas of Reseau des Femmes' interventions include gender equality and fight against gender based violence, economic empowerment, education on sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV/AIDS as well as alleviation of the burden of unpaid domestic work for women among others.
