By Nicolette Nsabimana | Executive Director
As the year 2021 is coming to an end, an exciting idea has finally brought into life as the Byuka Bakobwa Project was announced for its launch during the press conference on September 23rd, at the Nyarugenge District Hall. Important details were covered during the interview and how the project plays its role in the lives of vulnerable young women and girls.
The Byuka Bakobwa roughly translates to “Wake Up, Girls!” to use as a slogan to highlight the issue of gender inequality faced by young women and girls from impoverished backgrounds and/or are victims of GBV when looking to work in the non-traditional jobs (jobs that are usually marked to men). Thanks to L'AMIE and FIT to make this project into a possibility, as this project is a collaboration work between us and our two partners.
Nicolette addresses during the press conference, that the end result of this project will enhance girls’ professional and personal development skills, increasing self-value and confidence, and highlighting the issues of GBV towards the public. Several news media were present, including The New Times, Rwanda Inspirer, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency, Kigali Today, and a few more. Not only that, but Centre Marembo also made in appearance in two radio stations (Isango Star 91.5 FM and Imanzi 105.1 FM), with two of the moto-taxing and tiles and posing paves students as the representatives of the Byuka Bakobwa.
A group of 60 young women were selected, which will be split into two groups of 30 to be trained in motorcycling and in tiles and posing paves for this 14-month long project. The first 4-5 months of the project will focus on the training phase, where by November 28th, 30 students of the moto-taxi training took the provisional driving test at the Kigali Stadium. The classroom not only teaches these young women the technical skills used in motorcycling and paver and tiles training, but the life skills as well, including customer care, communications skills, cooperatives skills, nutrition, sexual reproductive health and family planning.
The remaining months for 2022 will be dedicated on the examination stage, the certification stage (for the completion of the training as well passing their examination) and the formation of cooperatives.
This project is innovative itself in a way for its holistic approach, where not only it creates an opportunity for enrolment into non-traditional workplace, but the activities of this project provided to the beneficiaries are essential to achieve empowerment, getting psychosocial support, healthcare, to bring visibility on the issue of GBV and gender inequality, knowing about sexual reproductive health and their rights, childcare and other basic needs to cover them during the duration of the project.
Brief Summary:
Centre Marembo team would like to thank our partners, supporters and donors for all of your ongoing support and as well on your engagement and comments on our social media –Facebook, Twitter and Instagram- for every post published. Not only are we looking forward to 2022 to mark the beginning of a new year, but also the seeds of the future that will start to bloom and bear the fruits of the next year.
We wish everyone the best of the winter holidays and a happy new year!
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By Nicolette Nsabimana | Executive Director
By Nicolette Nsabimana | Executive Director
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