UNR launches sensitization campaign for farmers

HUYE - A project at the National University of Rwanda (UNR) that seeks to empower rural farmers has launched a nine-month campaign to sensitize coffee and pyrethrum farmers on HIV/Aids, family planning and maternal-child health. The Sustaining Partnerships to Enhance Rural Enterprise and Agribusiness Development (SPREAD) programme will cater for farmers in Huye, Nyamagabe, Musanze, Rubavu and Nyabihu districts. The project has embraced community theatre as a way of providing information to help them access health services to improve their social welfare. SPREAD tackles agribusiness development, HIV/ AIDS prevention, and promotion of family planning and maternal and child health. Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Maraba sector in Huye, the Health Programme Coordinator, Jeanne Nyirakamana, said that they preferred theatre because they consider it to be the best tool to convey the message to the society. “We want to help farmers acquire enough skills in community theatre for so they can be our ambassadors in the community. We want to sharpen their ability in conveying health messages through drama”, Nyirakamana said. SPREAD is working with the University Centre for Arts and Drama (UCAD) to train farmers in community theatre. According to Gloria Mwiza Magambo, the UCAD officer in charge of Theatre, community theatre is good tool that helps people resolve their own problems. “Theatre is a language of all, even deaf can understand its message. Ends