Since 2008 Embrace Rwanda International Society a Vancouver-based charity has helped to bring powerful, meaningful and sustainable change to Rwanda’s rural communities. For a region hit hard by poverty, genocide and disease, the transformation is remarkable. It is estimated that at least 24,000 have now benefited from the work of Embrace Rwanda.
Embrace Rwanda is a grassroots community development partnership between Canada and Rwanda. Under the leadership of North Vancouver’s Hilary King, the initial focus was to provide continuing support for poverty-stricken rural families through an initiative called the “Healthy Mums Program”. Years later, the initiative stands on four pillars of community development and support: maternal/child health, early childhood education, building capacity through a Vocational Training Center and a social/ economic development/ savings and credit program to support the development of small business. In Canada, the charity is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom visit Rwanda annually to offer skills and support. This volunteer component enables 100% of all funds raised here to go directly to Rwanda.
How you can help:
Today, in Rwanda like all over the World, people are facing the troubling effects of Coronavirus which has affected the socio-economic lives of millions of people. However, even though these effects are touching the lives of each and everyone in Rwanda, the situations are not the same for everybody. The virus has affected the poor and marginalized the most, those without resources and reserves to fall back on. The serious problem is observed today in Kibirizi Sector, Ruhunga Cell and Ruhurura Village where there is a Healthy Mums Project (HMP) association called Jyejurumwana made of many people who are struggling in many different ways. People from this Village are the mostly vulnerable and marginalized (category 1&2 of life standard) who normally make a living by carrying stones, sand for people, in need of building houses. Since the pandemic has enforced quarantine and isolation, these activities, classified as non-essential, have been forced to stop and these people are suffering from hunger.
As with most countries the number of active cases in a country is rapidly growing. The introductory video states Rwanda has 54 cases and counting, this has since increased to 150+ and these poor communities are in dire need of support. Before Coronavirus, these people were able to make do with what they have and carry on, but today this is not possible, as none of them are able to work or earn an income.
These are the mums from Ruhurura Village:
Clementine, a Mother Leader of Jyejurumwana association is working voluntarily for Embrace Rwanda International Society helping these mums:
As the parents and guardians are unable to work, the pressure is mounting on where these families will get food to feed their families and children.
Children from Ruhurura:
In addition to these manual labor activities mentioned previous, some of these families have started small businesses selling irish potatoes and cassava to small markets around Kigeme and Kibirizi. These have transformed their lives and keeps them from begging by rather making efforts to sustain these businesses and provide the basic needs their families need. The money from this crowdfunding initiative will be used to supplement any shortcomings these families might have by providing basic health and nutrition in these troubled times.
This is part of an ongoing initiative, and as such these are photos taken during April 2020 of food being delivered to similar families in need in Rwanda.
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