RUTANA September 7th (ABP) – More than 340 children, orphans and other vulnerable (OVC) from eight villages in the commune and province of Rutana (south-eastern Burundi), received aid with school materials on Friday September 3 on behalf of the collective of associations working for the well-being of children called “Turererehamwe” of the headquareters of Rutana province, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
That school material, given to 342 children and a few days before the start of the 2021-2022 school year, was collected by 1462 members of the 62 associations gathered within the “Turererehamwe” collective.
Each child was entitled to six notebooks and two pens.
According to the chairman of that collective, Mr. Venant Bimenyimana, with a few resources put together, we can achieve something very important, given that any member of the association united in this collective pays a minimal sum of 200 BIF which does not strike on the family stock exchange but which gives hope to continue thstudies to a good number of children who, with the beginning of the next school year, began to wonder which saint to devote to in order to be able to return to the school bench.
Mr. Bimenyimana thanked SOS Kinder doff International which, through its Family Strengthening Program (PRF), has transferred its knowledge to members of associations to the point that they have acquired the capacity to take charge, in their communities, of vulnerable children.
According to the chairman of that collective, their most ultimate wish is that there be zero vulnerable children and zero cases of violence against children. It is for this, he said, that in their interventions, it is envisaged lessons on the rights of the children, their duties and obligations, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the fight against COVID-19, the learning of modern farming and breeding methods, and self-development through savings and loan associations. He called on both national and international organizations or individuals who care about the well-being of children and who have the means to support the actions of that collective to be able to serve more children and to extend their action on everything the national territory, given that the ministerial ordinance recognizing this collective authorizes it to do so.
The representative of the PRF was in those ceremonies for the handing over of that aid welcomed the step taken by the “Turererehamwe” collective in the community care of vulnerable children. He said that the PRF started with 100 children but that with that collective, we made a big step forward.
That collective of associations working for the well-being of children was created in 2014 and brings together associations from the hills of Rutana commune, namely Rutana (15 associations), Gifunzo (19), Kayove (13), Rongero (12), Kibinzi (9), Rushemeza (7), Rushungura (2) and Nyarubere (2). It has the ambition to extend to other villages and towns in the country.