A total of 200 domestic workers in Kimisagara Sector, Nyarugenge District have received training aimed at equiping them with entrepreneurial and saving skills. The one-month training organised by the Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ADBEF) also enlightened participants on their rights. Lyhotely Ndagijimana, the president and legal representative of ADBEF said the training followed a 2009 survey on the problems faced by domestic workers. He said most of the domestic workers were girls who had dropped out of school and thus the need to equip them with hands-on skills. “We carried out a survey in Kimisagara among 130 domestic workers and found out that exploitation, low or no pay, dismissal without notice, sexual violence, physical and psychological violence are some of the challenges facing domestic workers were facing. They however, feared to report these challenges because most of the times the local leaders were reluctant to attend to them. This is what prompted us to conduct this training together with local leaders,” Ndagijimana explains. Penina Mutamba, a participant commended the facilitators for their initiative and urged them to extend the programme to the whole country. The training ended this week with awarding of certificates to the participants.
