The new National Women Council committee has pledged to increase efforts to effectively deal with street children issues.

This was during the swearing-in of the new 7-member committee yesterday in Nyandungu Kigali.

Francoise Uwumukiza, the new president of NWC, said that by working with religious leaders and other stakeholders, the council will talk to street children, know where they came from and make efforts to resettle them in their families.

"We shall ask the children we find on streets where they come from. After finding out, we shall go to those families and ask why the children are on the streets and find a solution that will make them remain home,” she said.

She added that most of their work was going to take place at the cell levels, a factor that will enable them to deal with many other burning issues in the society like cleanliness and feeding.

"We shall walk in the footprints of the former council to get work done”.

The new committee also pledged to fight unwanted pregnancies, gender based violence and promoting good upbringing of children through sensitization of the parents on good feeding habits and morals.

"Families have different types of food but they don’t even know the value in it. You find that some who have chickens just sell the eggs instead of giving them to children,” she said.

The Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Diane Gashumba, urged the new leaders to carry on with the government programs and to pay special attention to take the family institution forward.

Beatrice Mukasine, the outgoing president, said that though much had been achieved during her tenure in office, it was nowhere near the desired goals of the council. She cited the former committee’s achievements like getting women from illegal hawking and street vending, fostering the Ndi Umunyarwanda campaign and working smoothly with the government and other stakeholders.

To this effect, she called upon the new leadership to work with diligence to turn around such challenges.

"Work for the development of the woman. Go close to those who have voted for you. We should work efficiently with less money. Work well with MIGEPROF and all the stakeholders,” she said.

The National Women Council committee is elected by their general assembly for a term of five years. The outgoing committee served from 2011.

The council’s Executive Secretary is appointed by the government. The council is waiting for a new one after the appointment of Jackline Kamanzi as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion.

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