According to the organisers, participants were selected from families known for living harmoniously and serving as role models in their communities. They are expected to have the willingness and ability to help other families improve their relationships. The initiative aims to establish a system through which knowledge and messages can be shared down to the village level.
MIGEPROF says the training is intended to help family members understand their respective responsibilities and use their abilities in the common interest of the family. The knowledge is also expected to encourage cooperation, with each person contributing according to their abilities and individual strengths.
The programme is expected to be rolled out across the country. The organisers began by training people who will, in turn, train others at district level. Participants represent different groups, including government employees, representatives of the National Women’s Council (CNF), the National Youth Council (CNJ), religious leaders, persons with disabilities, and the private sector represented by PSF.
Speaking about BRAC’s role in the training, Muziranenge Odile, who represents the organisation in Nyanza, Ruhango and Muhanga districts under the AIM project (Accelerating Impact for Young Women), funded by the Mastercard Foundation, said the programme focuses on improving the well-being of women and girls. She emphasised that empowering young women and girls is essential to the development of families and the country.
“We firmly believe that when you build up a woman, you build up a family, a country and society, because everything begins with the family. That is why this training is important: the family is the natural foundation of the nation,” she said.
Odile explained that BRAC works with the Government of Rwanda to support initiatives promoting gender equality and complementarity. She noted that family conflicts can hinder development, making it important to help families prevent and resolve disagreements before they escalate.
She added that families serving as role models would share the knowledge and experience gained during the training with other community members, enabling one family to inspire and support others.
Nadine Kayitesi, the Deputy Mayor of Nyanza District in charge of Social Affairs, said the training would help build healthy families, prevent conflicts and strengthen understanding of gender equality and complementarity.
“It will help us build healthy families, prevent conflicts that may arise within families, and increase knowledge of gender equality and complementarity,” she said.
Kayitesi noted that family problems should be addressed before they become severe. She cited persistent conflicts, family separations and children living or spending time on the streets as possible signs of challenges within families that require attention.
She urged the participants to take the training seriously and share what they learn with other families, stressing that the knowledge is not intended for the trainees alone but for the benefit of Rwandan society as a whole.
“We must strengthen our families, starting with ourselves and extending to the families around us, because the family is the foundation of development,” she said.
Kayitesi also thanked BRAC International Rwanda for its partnership with Nyanza District, particularly in initiatives aimed at empowering women and strengthening families, and encouraged the organisation to continue its efforts.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, the training had already been conducted in districts across the Eastern Province and is now being rolled out in the Southern Province. It is expected to continue in other districts as resources become available.
The organisers hope that the program will eventually reach communities throughout Rwanda, equipping more people with the knowledge to promote gender equality and complementary, prevent family conflicts, and build strong and safe families.
