News

Tuesday 18th April 2023, at Four Points by Sheraton Kigali, SUGIRA MURYANGO Program conducted a dissemination event to present immediate post-intervention results of its 2019-2022 expansion. The event was attended by different stakeholders including national and local level government stakeholders, Civil Society Organizations in the sector of Early Childhood Development, experts in this sector, as well as program’s implementing partners’ staff as well as interventionists.

Giving opening remarks, FXB Rwanda Executive Director, Emmanuel Kayitana emphasized on the work done by the Sugira Muryango team in the collaboration with stakeholders. He thanked everyone for their courage, and hard-working which made it possible to this day of results dissemination. He promised FXB Rwanda’s continuous contribution in keeping Rwandan families stable, strong, and prosperous as the foundation for a better future.

Presenting the results, it was showcased that the program reached the total of 19,548 female and male caregivers with its package of 12 modules aiming at improved ECD of their 9,483 children, conflict resolutions among their families, and father engagement in ECD interventions. The program was implemented in all sectors of Rubavu, Ngoma, and Nyanza districts. The total of 15,351 local officials were engaged in ECD intervention during the program’s implementation while 6,285 among them got ECD related training.

Furthermore, the program reached the total of 2,608 Friends of Family (IZU), which is an existing community structure, with trainings to capacity build them on delivery of this approach. The provided package is also helpful in fulfilling back their usual responsibilities of conflict resolution and assuring children’s care in the community. “The Sugira Muryango Program enabled us with skills and knowledge in its 12 modules which we used while delivering interventions to the beneficiary families. The improved hygiene, nutrition, children’s early stimulation practices, shared responsibilities and father engagement are realized among the supported families. The knowledge and skills provided in the program, were not only supportive from the family beneficiaries of Sugira Muryango but also to other village families we currently follow up on daily basis” testified Etienne Nzaramba, IZU Nyagisozi sector-Nyanza district.

Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Prof. Jeannette Bayisenge, who was the guest of honor commended the Sugira Muryango approach insisting on how it promoted and up-skilled friends of families (Inshuti z’Umuryango), contributed to the reduction of violence within families as well as on how it was supportive for children of 0 to 3 years by enabling their parents/caregivers with Early Childhood Development skills and knowledge.

“We appreciate the importance of Sugira Muryango’s approach of strengthening structures like IZU (friends of families), UWI (Family Evening forum) among others which are the key aspects in national family policy" added Minister. She concluded urging FXB Rwanda and the University of Rwanda as the implementers of the program to scale up the program to other districts, keeping the spirit of better connecting Sugira Muryango with existing community-based structures.

The event was an informative and insightful one with opportunities for networking and collaboration, while discussing the scale-up of the Sugira Muryango program.