By Panorama
Agnes MUKASHYAKA, the IVLP Impact Awardee through the U.S. International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Impact Award 2023 successfully completed the project entitled “Unlocking opportunities for children and youth with intellectual disabilities” which was conducted in the three Districts of the City of Kigali including Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge, in partnership with IZERE MUBYEYI ORGANIZATION and the US Embassy, Department of State through Meridian International Center.
On 31st January 2024, Agnes MUKASHYAKA in collaboration with IZERE MUBYEYI ORGANIZATION convened a meeting with different stakeholders involved in disability mainstreaming to discuss the project outcomes, challenges, lessons learned as well as suggestions in terms of improving collaboration efforts to support empowerment and social inclusion initiatives in the benefit of children and youth with intellectual disabilities in Rwanda.
In her opening remarks Agnes Mukashyaka who is also the Coordinator of IZERE MUBEYI ORGANIZATION says, “We are very thankful to the U.S. IVLP for sponsoring the implementation of this project. The project aimed to raise community awareness to advocate for the rights and potentials of children and youth with intellectual disabilities, as well as engaging local administration leaders to identify the children and youth with intellectual disabilities to initiate a database of reference for future initiatives. Moreover, we mobilized an entrepreneurship institution to capacitate the parents of children with intellectual disabilities to create low-income generating activities to be able to cater for the minimum special needs of their children. Even though we were challenged by a limited budget, the project paved a way for more promising initiatives.”
The project was implemented in two sample sectors per each District of the City of Kigali namely GAHANGA and MASAKA in Kicukiro, BUMBOGO and KIMIRONKO in Gasabo, KIGALI and MAGERAGERE in Nyarugenge. These sectors were selected based on high prevalence of persons with disabilities per sector in each District as per the fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census (RPHC5) conducted in 2022.
The project community awareness campaigns on the rights of children and youth with intellectual disabilities reached out approximatively 10,000 people and 625 children and youth with intellectual disabilities were identified to be part of future advocacy initiatives for empowerment and social integration. Meanwhile, it was noted that during the campaign, one family of well-wishers was touched by the project objective and accepted to pay for Children Christmas party at IZERE MUBYEYI ORGANIZATION. The children with intellectual disabilities were very happy and Agnes MUKASHYAKA, the IVLP Project Awardee was grateful.
Félicien TURATSINZE, the Chairman of IZERE UMUBEYI ORGANIZATION says, “the most difficult challenge is not only the lack of accurate database of the people with intellectual disabilities in Rwanda. We are also appealing to the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) for continuous collaboration with local non-government organizations to meet due requirements to sustainably assist the persons with disabilities.”
Florentine UWAMARIYA, the representative from National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), a government’s forum for advocacy and social mobilization on issues affecting the persons with disabilities to build their capacity and ensure their participation in national development commended the project efforts and results. She emphasized on the need of strong collaboration between stakeholders to harmonize the use of resources and experience in the benefit of persons with disabilities.
IZERE MUBYEYI ORGANIZATION that partnered with Agnes MUKASHYAKA to implement the IVLP Project is a non-governmental organization founded in 2004 by 23 parents of children with intellectual disabilities with a mission to promote the rights and well-being of children with disability through societal inclusion in all spheres of human development.
Its main programmes include special education to children with disabilities, physiotherapy services, resource mobilization to empower and advocate for persons with disabilities as well as community outreach to promote social inclusion. IZERE MUBYEYI ORGANIZATION has established an inclusive educaction center which currently accommodates 122 students including 53 children and youth with disabilities.
