Kigali-12 November-2018-Ambassador Soline NYIRAHABIMANA was speaking at the closing of the 2-days Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing (RYVCP) training that was conducted between 10-11 November 2018. The trained aimed at equipping volunteers with ample skills that will enable them to join the battle on fighting domestic conflicts, Gender Based Violence, child defilement, teenage pregnancies and ending malnutrition/stunting.

‘Go out there in schools, participate in ‘Umugoroba w’Ababyeyi, community small groups ‘Amasibo’ that are at grassroots level and use all means in solving issues that hinder our community safety so that we build a family we want.’-noted Amb. Nyirahabimana

The Minister added: ‘We believe that your energy and spirit of patriotism can help us to address serious issues of teen pregnancies, poor feeding, illicit drugs and in tracing some parents that sell off fortified food that we provide for children hence resulting in stunting.’

Amb. Soline pledged a full support of the Ministry in fulfilling the commitments made after the training.

The National Coordinator for RYVCP Abdallah Murenzi said that the organization is composed of the educated and elite young people, who have the will and ability to understand and address issues at hand.

“We have members and structures down to the village level, and we will leave here with priority tasks; to make Evening Parent Forum ‘Umugoroba w’Ababyeyi active, educate the people on proper feeding, continue Umuganda especially constructing kitchen gardens and focus much on campaign against drugs in schools,” Murenzi said.

The trained youth volunteers pledged their full commitment in changing the community’s mindset and fighting issues that affect the society. It is expected that they will educate the community on Early Childhood Development Program and mobilize all actors: parents, leaders, faith based organizations, civil society, to play a role in implementing #ECD policy at grassroots level. They will also educate parents on preparing a balanced diet and proper feeding in order to ending malnutrition and stunting, conducting high school dialogues on sexual reproductive health and raising awareness on teenage pregnancy.