Sports to Empower Women & Girls in Rwanda

AKWOS visited Rulindo District in the Northern province of Rwanda whereby there is 15 Women Agricultural Cooperatives; of which AKWOS sensitized them on the Economic Empowerment and Improvement on the Sports activities. These women have participated in different Football tournaments and won Trophies. During this Entrepreneur Week, AKWOS was able to organize a Football match between different Women Cooperatives with a Delegation from ASHOKA, which was fun for both of them. Different reports were given from these women on how they improved their social and economical development which included crop production, animal husbandry such as poultry, piggery, goat keeping, and more. Crop production on terraces such as wheat, beans, peas, maize, sorghum, soya beans, ground nuts and many more. This was performed in collaboration with ASHOKA East-African Representative and Felicite RWEMARIKA who was recently elected also as an ASHOKA Fellow in Rwanda. According to the campaign of fighting malnutrition, these women looked healthy due to different messages on food nutrition and food security that they receive from AKWOS Facilitators on quarterly basis. Miss Bazimaziki Veneranda is one of AKWOS Women Coaches who is at the same time the President of these Women Agricultural Cooperatives. She was given a Certificate of recognition as top woman Entrepreneur and was rewarded with 200, 000 Rwanda francs. She has managed to develop different projects on Poultry, Restaurant and Bar , Plantations of Vegetables, Cows, Goats, and she has been able to approach the Bank and was given a Bank loan to buy a Lorry which will facilitate her to take her products to sell on a High Market. She is a mental to other women in confidence and creating more Football teams for their healthy being and interaction with the Community. She is a live example that many women want to be like her. She is so inspiring and role model in fighting poverty and contributing to the development of the country.

AKWOS in partnership with WOMEN WIN organized a 2 day workshop of training Women Coaches on Goal Curriculum. These coaches needed this training so that they strengthen their skills on the strategy of Empowering Young Girls on the following Modules: BE YOURSELF, BE HEALTHY, BE EMPOWERED and BE MONEY SAVVY. The Goal Curriculum Activity Guide simplifies the strategies of the activities needed to help girls understand better how to move forward. As the focal point of AKWOS come from all Provinces of Rwanda and went back with plan to use these modules in different schools starting with girls from 12 years old and above.

During the 2 days of the training, coaches were proud to share their daily experiences with young girls and from the new Goal Curriculum module their Skills were enriched. With the good performance of Women Win representatives (Manu and Nicole), AKWOS coaches were excited to learn new strategies that they will use for the Young Girls Empowerment. During the training, Mme Suzan Falatko, the Public Relations Officer at the U.S Embassy came over to encourage the trainers to keep up the passion they have to improve the well being of Girls preparing them to become the future leaders that will play a big role in the development of Rwanda as a Nation and across the Region. During the closing ceremony, AKWOS coaches promised to use the Goal Curriculum Modules as soon as they start school and this will help them to measure the impact.

Links:

• AKWOS Website