This association is one of our BCIEA, women group partners in Rwanda.
We will be doing a lot of awareness activities with them, they have a clinic which I visited and the pictures of the babies are from there. The clinic will be one of our centers for screening and hopefully treatment? They are making a basket with our logo, then we can use it to provide sustainable income for the association while fundraising for our organization also.
Benishyaka Association is Non- government women organization formed in September 1994 war and genocide by a group of 18 Rwandese women with the aim of addressing the social economic needs of widows and orphans affected by the war, genocide and HIV/AIDS.
Vision: A Rwandan society where Vulnerable widows and orphans have better livelihoods and sustainable development.
Mission: Benishyaka’s mission is to restore hope through facilitating the vulnerable widows and orphans affected by the War, Genocide and HIV/AIDS to acquire skills, knowledge and capital for sustainable self-reliance and development.
Objectives:
To assist and give necessary support to widows and orphans affected by the war and Genocide.
To teach and encourage self- reliance among the aforesaid categories of people.
To facilitate vulnerable orphaned children in accessing education.
To promote national reconciliation especially among women and the Rwandese community at large.
To educate and enlighten women about their rights and their children and how to protect and defend them.
To grant widows and traumatized children with psychosocial care.
To educate Rwandese people especially women, causes and prevention of HIV/AIDS, provide care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS.
Programmes:
Education Sponsorship for Orphans.
Food Security
Poverty reduction
HIV/AIDS prevention and Support to People living with HIV/AIDS.
Cross Cutting issues-Gender, environment and Peace building.
The Organizational structure:
General Assembly: It is the supreme body of the organisation which lays down the broad policies, basic policies and programs of the organisation. It considers the reports and elects the Board members/Executive Committee. It meets once a year.
Administrative Council/Board of Directors: It is a committee that ensures the execution of decisions and policies laid out by the General Assembly. It is the administrative machinery of the organisation at all levels and takes measures as it deems fit to enforce decisions and programs of the organisation.
Executive Secretariat: This is headed by the Executive Secretary. It is responsible for the day-to-day running of the secretariat and ensures the implementation, monitoring and follow up of the program activities.
Areas of Operation:
Nyagatare District (Eastern Province)
Kirehe District
Bugesera
Muhanga (Southern Province)
Kicukiro (Kigali City)
Gasabo (Kigali City)
Activities Realized: Shelter- 112 houses constructed in Rurenge village -Muvumba district- Umutara Province where vulnerable widows and elderly people where resettled and Provision of Iron Sheets to 44Kibungo beneficiaries.
Education Sponsorship Programme:
This is an on going activity that started in 1995. The table below shows the number of students sponsored since 1999.
| Academic Year | No. of Pupils
in Primary | No. of Students
in Secondary | University
Students | Total |
| 1995/1996 | 52 | - | - | 52 |
| 1996/1997 | 52 | - | - | 52 |
| 1997/1998 | 52 | 250 | - | 302 |
| 1998/1999 | 52 | 310 | - | 362 |
| 1999/2000 | 37 | 448 | - | 485 |
| 2000/2001 | 37 | 990 | - | 1097 |
| 2001/2002 | 87 | 768 | - | 855 |
| 2002/2003 | 77 | 696 | 9 | 782 |
| 2003/2004 | 77 | 746 | 10 | 833 |
| 2005 | 44 | 646 | 25 | 715 |
| 2006 | 44 | 507 | 23 | 982 |
| 2007 | 100 | 582 | 21 | 702 |
| 2008 | | | | 916 |
The organization has been sponsoring orphaned vulnerable children to access formal education in both primary and secondary schools since 1995.More than 65 are now in the university.
150 are children affected/infected with HIV/AIDS.
Tailoring school- offers sewing skills to young girls and women who did not get a chance to complete the formal education.
Solidarity camps for sponsored children.
Health: A dispensary was constructed in Muvumba district-Umutara Province in 1998. The dispensary has grown to a health Center. The Health Center offers medical services (Consultation, Treatment, laboratory services, Admisions,maternity and immunization) to the people in the village and surrounding community.The Health center has a VCT center that carries out tests and provides ARVs
HIV/AIDS prevention:
Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS sensitizations for women and youth.
Pen-Pal program among high school students in Rwanda and USA to share and exchange information on HIV/AIDS.
Provided 100 goats to 50 People living with HIV/AIDS as income generating activities as well as paying Health Insurance “Mutuelle de sante” orphaned vulnerable children.
Food Security:
Rurenge Farm- Beneficiaries in Rurenge village were given 20 local cows; they have increased to 80 animals now. Recently, Beneficiaries in Rurenge village in Nyagatare District received 9 Fresian cows donated by Her Exellency the First lady of Rwanda Mrs. Jeannette Kagame when officially opening Rurenge Health Center.
Beneficiaries in Umutara, Kibungo provinces have been provided with agricultural inputs(tools, selected seeds and fertilizers) to increase their production since all are entirely depend on subsistence agricultural production.
Poultry farming.
Training on land use management and Modern farming techniques.
Income Generating Activities:
Grinding mill house and milling machines in Nyagatare, Kirehe district and Bugesera.
6 Small lock up shops in Nyagatare.
Provision of Credits for beneficiaries in Umutara, Nyamata, Rusumo and Kigali city.
A house at Kinamba Kacyiru with 13 units which is rented.
Current Activities Undertaken;
Income generating Activities-Economic empowerment for widows by engaging them in Income generating activities for poverty reduction and peace building
Agricultural activities/Food Security.
Education for orphaned vulnerable children.829 sponsored in secondary schools and 25 in the university.
HIV/AIDS Awareness –sensitization on HIV/AIDS prevention and encouraging beneficiaries to go for VCT
Support to PLWA by engaging them in Income generating activities( provision of goats).
Education for children affected/infected children.
Training/Capacity building: Modern farming methods, entrepreneurship,Peace building using DELTA Approach (Development,Education, leadership and teams in Action).
Challenges:
Working with poverty stricken people who are mainly widows with many overwhelmingly many needs.(lack of shelter, education for their children etc..
Increasing number of orphaned vulnerable children due to HIV/AIDS yet donors are not willing to support formal education related activities like school fees payment.
Donor dependence – organization’s sustainability not certain as donors are not willing to fund heavy investments for NGOs.
Future Perspectives;
Promote self reliance through income generating activities. Orphans vulnerable children’s Education.
HIV/AIDS-care and support for PLWAs and Prevention.
Agricultural food processing and transformation.
Capacity building for both organization’s members and Beneficiaries.
Benishyaka is also a member of other umbrella organizations and Networks: Pro Femmes Twese Hamwe, Ibuka, Land Net, Nile Basin Discourse Forum, Legal Aid Forum.
CURRENT PARTNERS/DONORS
Firelight Foundation in USA
Global Fund For Children in USA
Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund(SCIAF)
Aktion Regen of Austria.
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Red Hot Organisation in USA
Trocaire- Great lakes region
FARG(( Fond National Pour l’Assistance aux Rescapés du Genocide et des Massacres au Rwanda)
MAP/CNLS
CHAMP (Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project)
Rwanda Association of University Women.
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