The project to empower young teenage mothers in Bugesera, Rwanda
Christmas party and graduation party at Mama Courage! In such a short time, this place has become a home for another group of trainees and their children. After six months, the second class finished their training successfully and received their certificates. Congratulations!
Many thanks to all supporters who made this project possible! Without your donations and endowments, none of this would be possible! THANK YOU!!! Merry Christmas 🎄
On your way from Kigali to Bugesera or the other way around you will see our sign “Mama Courage” on the road.
You are welcome to visit our kiosk where we sell handmade clothes and bags – for you, your kids or as perfect souvenirs and gifts! Some reasons why you might stop and support us:
In May 2022, the first cohort of trainees was bid farewell and the new cohort was welcomed to the training center!
The celebration was attended by several distinguished guests, including from the Ministry of Equality and Family Support.
In a short time, the project has become a lighthouse project, institutions and other organizations visit us and want to know how we encourage and support the young women – among other things, childcare in the same house with daily healthy care is a novelty. We also provide support with health insurance, therapy options in the event of an experience of violence, and offer cooking classes for a healthy but affordable diet.
After six months training our students finished their training and received their certificates.
Mama Courage took the ceremonial opportunity to officially inaugurate the training center. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this was not possible in 2021. But not only the center, also a kiosk and a chicken coop were inaugurated.
“Mama Courage” training centre in Bugesera in Rwanda has opened!
Before that, the house was expanded with toilet facilities, barrier-free access, a hand-washing station in the entrance area and, of course, equipped with chairs, tables and sewing machines.
During the last months we have been very busy with the preparations and construction of the former family house to transform it into a vocational centre. We added new toilets, a handwash station at the entrance and a ramp for barrier-free access. And of course we got some chairs, tables and sewing machines and a beautiful big chalkboard.
Have a look…
Awareness raising and prevention in the villages of the Eastern Province in close
with schools and health centres, especially in the Bugesera district.
for all young people by means of workshops, visits to schools (primary and
schools (primary and secondary) and in the homes of families, printing and distributing
educational material in the local language (e.g. sexual organs and their function, menstrual cycle
(e.g. sexual organs and their function, menstrual cycle, HIV and other sexually transmitted
diseases), distribution of condoms and other contraceptives and their
explained how to use them. In parallel, we would also like to get young men on board and inform them about the rights
and inform them about their rights, consequences and protective measures.
Goals: Avoidance of further early pregnancies and rapes through
education, raising awareness on the issue of (sexualised) violence, improving
health, reduce HIV rate, strengthen rural areas.
Impact: Young girls are strengthened in their rights and are more self-confident in their environment and in society.
more self-confident in their environment and in society. Through education and the transfer of knowledge to boys and
girls are no longer so easily victims of physical and psychological violence and the number
violence and the number of future teenage pregnancies is reduced. The
health and living situation is improved, better legal awareness and
behavioural change of the potential perpetrators of tomorrow. Women and their families
families should be able to report perpetrators and bring them to justice. Up to now they have lacked
the courage, the means and the knowledge.
Target group: all young people (approx. 6000 people) in the Bugesera district aged 12-18 years, their homes and schools.
years, their homes and schools.
Information events, education and counselling, assistance of a medical nature, e.g.
paediatric treatment of children infected with HIV / AIDS, assumption of
health insurance, general accompaniment and psychological support,
counselling and talking therapies.
Goals: Improving the physical and mental health situation of young often
traumatised teenage mothers, improving the health of their children.
Impact: Empowerment of young mothers, support for human rights, ways out of poverty and possible
from poverty and possible dependencies, and prevention of (forced) prostitution through education.
(forced) prostitution through education and strengthening of self-confidence and rights, access to the health system
rights, providing access to the health system
Target group: young teenage mothers in the Bugesera district aged 12-18 years and their children
(number at least 200, tendency increasing)
In Bugesera, in the eastern province of Rwanda, a training centre is being built. By training young mothers as seamstresses, we provide young teenage mothers with an income opportunity and help them to start their own small businesses with basic equipment.
The planned vocational training centre offers the young teenage mothers the possibility of a 6-month or one-year training as a seamstress.
After successful completion of the training, they will have their own sewing machine to start their own business.
In order for the young women to be able to concentrate on their training, their children will be lovingly cared for in the same house.
Goals: the project contributes to reducing poverty, hunger and inequalities. It also supports the education of girls and enables the particularly disadvantaged group of single teenage mothers to find decent work.
The project “Mama Courage” aims to promote the education of young women, strengthen their skills and help them to become independent. The opportunity to train gives them a chance to earn a living for their children in a good and honest way. Jobs are thus created, especially for women in rural areas. The aim is to qualify the graduates in such a way that they find employment or are enabled to become self-employed. It would also be conceivable to found cooperatives later on or to support them in their founding. At the training centres, single young girls who have dropped out of school find active support. By imparting basic entrepreneurial knowledge, women in rural regions are strengthened and empowered to start a micro-enterprise. Working in manual trades is one of the few opportunities for young mothers in Rwanda to support their families in a respectable way and to shape their own lives.
Impact: the young mothers and their children have better chances for the future through education and training, thus a long-term chance for a self-determined life beyond the poverty line. Integration leads to less discrimination and increased acceptance among the population. Furthermore, the girls are empowered and their human rights are supported; a way out of poverty is achieved through education and strengthening of self-confidence and rights. The teenage mothers have completed their education and are thus able to provide for their own income and feed their families. They get a real chance to work and an opportunity to contribute to the community. Their children attend schools, they have access to the health system. The complications and health risk and mortality rate of teenage mothers and their babies will decrease. The HIV rate will decrease and the already infected teenagers will have access to medication and treatment. In addition to the girls’ personal situation, the measures will also benefit the country’s economy in the long term. The cycle of poverty and poor education can be broken. Our project partner also hopes that the education campaigns will improve legal awareness and change the behaviour of the potential perpetrators of tomorrow. Women and their families should be able to report perpetrators and bring them to court. So far, they lack the courage, the means and the knowledge to do so.
Target group: young teenage mothers in the Bugesera district aged 12-18 years and their children
(number: 25-50 teenage mothers with at least one child)
A building with classrooms, a sewing workshop, play area for children, kitchen and toilets as well as the equipment like tables, chairs, blackboard, and sewing machines of course will be provided for young teenager mothers in Bugesera, Eastern Province of Rwanda, very soon.
A toilet facility will have to be added to the premises and an access to the house will be made barrier-free.
Once this preparatory work has been completed, the vocational training can begin very soon!
A small sales area our “show room” will be prepared later so that the sewn products can be offered for sale. We would appreciate financial support for this show room.
A three-day training and multiplier training took place in Bugersa from 18 to 20 May 2021. The main topics were:
