Hannah Ministries in Byumba 

 

Hannah Ministries is an organization in the diocese of

Byumba which was set up to support children at risk: orphans,

those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, children living in "child led"

households, and street children. Originally started by

Josephine Mujawiyera, wife of Archbishop Onesphore Rawje,

the work was subsequently led by Victoire Uwamaliya, wife

of Bishop Emmanuel Ngendahayo, after he became Bishop

of Byumba in 2011. Sadly Victoire tragically died in May 2015 and

the work has been run by volunteers ever since.

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The Hannah Project now principally supports children in poverty who are HIV positive. They get anti-retroviral drugs from the government, but to  tolerate these good nutrition is esential. Sadly, many poor and dysfunctional families cannot sustain this and the children's lives are at risk. In addition, because of poverty and poor parental behaviour, many of the children are at high risk of abuse, particulalry the girls. So the Hannah Project seeks to support these children in the following ways:

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•    Food

•    Education

•    Medical Expenses through paying the government health insurance fee

•    Vocational Training

•    HIV/AIDS Care & Counselling

•    Self-sustainable development

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The Hannah Project raises awareness of the children's problems with other community members and advocates for their rights to be protected. It has organized voluntary committees to protect the children at sector administration unit level i.e. local government. It has created and supported exchange forums and mutual counselling between children and adults. 

 

​Rwanda Direct sends regular support to Hannah Ministries and particularly through times of economic difficulty, these gifts are vital

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Scripture Union Vulnerable Children Programme 

Scripture Union Rwanda is running a project helping children who are at risk.

This project started in 2009 in Kigali. The focus has nowmoved to two new

areas of growth in this programme for SU down in the  east at Kayonza, and

another in the central south west areas of Rwanda at Muhanga. We currently

support this initiative through prayer but would love to do more!

 

The focus is now on vulnerable girls in their teenage years, many of whom have

become pregnant and have had to leave home as a result. They then have

nothing to live on often turning to prostitution to survive. It's tragic and a country

wide problem.

 

In Muhanga they work with 22 girls (teenagers) a few with babies, at a house

given to SU. They are thrown out by their families and need care. They are

provided meals and love living in the small shared bedrooms. They have Social

Worker support and a Teacher providing primary schooling in the mornings and

skills training in the afternoons - dress making. A few are learning English and

go to secondary school. They have lunch and dinner together and cook here

such as Sorghum /amasaka porridge. Their lives are transformed and as they

learn skills a route out of prostitution is opened and indeed reconciliation with

their families is also encouraged.​

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