Empower Rwandan women to be community educators

Dear friends of Paper Crown Rwanda,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Gisèle Umutoniwase, and I am honored to serve as the new Executive Director at Paper Crown Rwanda. I am delighted to share with you some exciting updates from the field over the past few months.

1.Youth Advisory committee (YAC) - Unleashing the Power of Diverse Youth

 I am pleased to announce the successful establishment of our vibrant and diverse Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). This committee comprises fifteen enthusiastic and diverse young individuals who are committed to finding solutions to the challenges faced by young people in their communities. The YAC will act as a platform for sharing the valuable knowledge and insights of young people, addressing the most crucial issues they encounter. Their guidance will be instrumental in shaping the best approaches for our programs. To ensure inclusivity, we collaborated with partners representing youth with diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities and from the LGBTQIA+ community.

2.My Voice, My Power - Empowering Youth activists in Kayonza

 We have also completed a cycle of our flagship program, My Voice, My Power (MVMP), in Kayonza, impacting the lives of hundreds of individuals directly. MVMP is designed to empower youth as community activists by providing them with capacity-building workshops on gender, GBV (Gender-Based Violence), SRHR (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights), and human rights. Moreover, we support youth clubs in organizing their own advocacy events within their communities. As always, the program successfully empowered young girls in Kayonza to find their voices, promoting positive attitudes toward consent, and the use of contraceptives.

3.Strengthening Impact - Engaging our Board for Growth

 In the past quarter, PCR has taken significant steps to strengthen the organization's capacity for growth. We have initiated a board engagement strategy with the assistance of a member from our global advocacy committee. This strategy aims to enhance communication and engagement with the PCR board, bridging any skills gaps within the organization and fostering collaboration towards our major organizational goals.

4.Growing Together - Expanding Paper Crown's Team

 On the personal front, Paper Crown has expanded its team, welcoming an Executive Director (myself), a communications officer, and a finance & operations officer. With a passionate and committed team of five, we are thrilled about the organization's potential for future growth.

5.Amplifying Impact - Taking Up Spaces and Expanding Our Network

 Furthermore, the Paper Crown Team has been actively engaging in various events and conferences to expand our network and promote our mission. For instance, Clementine, our programs and partnerships representative, spoke at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference on the theme "Gender Equality Now: Role of Young People in Transforming Masculinities." Drawing insights from our flagship program MVMP, she highlighted the significance of youth leadership in promoting gender equality and transforming traditional notions of masculinity. Additionally, we participated in an exhibition booth on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, showcasing our approach and sharing our success stories. We also attended the annual meeting of the Segal Family Foundation, where we connected with like-minded organizations and potential supporters of our work.

6.Success Story - Empowering Rwandan Women as Community Educators

I am thrilled to share a success story with you. Thanks to your generous donations to our project, "Empower Rwandan Women to be Community Educators," we have been able to invest in building the capacity of future educators to lead our gender transformative projects, including MVMP. As a result, we now have our first community educator, Rahmat Umuhoza, as part of the PCR staff. Rahmat is a skilled communications expert and a talented gender trainer, and she has been actively involved in the community educators' project for over 12 months. She is now ready to contribute to PCR's work as a gender trainer/educator, project lead, and communications support. Furthermore, she will assist the lead community educator in identifying and training other promising community educators. Rahmat's success is a perfect example of the positive outcomes we anticipated from this project. With your continued support, we aim to empower more young women as community educators, further strengthening our organization's capacity to deliver transformative projects and programs.

Uniting for Change - Continue supporting our work in Rwanda

 The work we do in Rwanda is critical, as violence against girls and women continues to threaten their full enjoyment of rights. We are immensely grateful for your ongoing support, which enables us to carry out our mission. We look forward to keeping you updated on our journey as we strive to build a sustainable feminist movement across Rwanda and continue educating and empowering youth on the ground.

Thank you once again for your invaluable support.

Warm regards,

Gisèle Umutoniwase

Executive Director, Paper Crown Rwanda