There is need to change mindsets and promote collaborations between the government and families to ensure that the country is raising children who are going to be responsible citizens in future. This was raised today during Umushyikirano Council where discussions rotated around engaging families for community resilience. The discussions were led by a four-person panel consisting of the gender and family promotion Minister Solina Nyarahabimana, the Minister of Local Government Anastase Shyaka, a community health worker; Florence Muntaganda and Sister Immaculée Uwamariya who started ‘Famille Espérance’ (FAES). Minister Nyirahabimana told the participants that even though the Rwandan family is currently facing a number of challenges, collaborations between the family and all stakeholders are the sustainable way of fixing conflicts, gender-based violence, malnutrition and other issues that if not fixed, can significantly stunt the development of a family She criticised parents who continue to put their busy schedules before their responsibility to raise and protect their children. “A child without proper upbringing is always at risk. We need to change our general outlook about our busy lives because this is going to have long-time consequences on children and put them at risk of poor performance in school, human trafficking, street children and more,” she said. Minister Shyaka pointed out for the success of 9-year-basic education is attributed to citizens’ participation which stood at 62 per cent while the government put in 30 per cent and partners 7 per cent. He explained that these numbers are an indication that the country’s citizens now understand issues better and their participation is paramount in national development. Florence Mukantaganda is a community health worker who provides medical care and advice especially in the areas of reproductive health. She told the participants that there has been an improvement in the response towards family planning methods, which she says has improved livelihoods. She said that the health workers, who are 57,445 in total countrywide, do this work for free to improve the quality of families in the communities that they live in. “We are not doctors but we are trained in what we do. We have gained trust and more and more people rely on our services. We are not paid, we do this out of the love for the country and to also make a contribution to our societies, she said. This year’s Umushyikirano, which ended today focused on issues surrounding the advancement of social development through strengthening community resilience, highlighting the participation and collaboration of all Rwandans for sustainable development. The participants are joined by other citizens in and outside the country through social media messages and video conferencing from across the country.
