December 2023: We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the “A House for Love & Care Jyambere Mwana” project at the end of the year. The initiative was successfully completed after one year in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ). A project report by Michael Liebler.
The aim of this committed project was to support a self-help group of mothers of disabled children. The women were not only to be given their own house as a meeting place, but were also to be enabled to generate their own income by raising their own pigs. The project was implemented in close cooperation with Love and Care – Jyambere Mwana, a local non-governmental organization (NGO) in Rwanda that works to integrate people with disabilities, especially children, into society. Love and Care focuses on inclusion, physiotherapeutic care, education and social support in order to sustainably improve the lives of young people with disabilities and their families.
While the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ) and Friends of Rwanda provided the funds for both projects, Love and Care – Jyambere Mwana contributed the land on which the house was built according to plans by a local architect. The women themselves lent a hand and helped with the construction work, actively supported by our weltwärts volunteer Viola Unger.
Not everything always went smoothly: There were delays with the building permit, natural disasters and inflation caused construction costs to rise. However, thanks to good costing, which had planned for delays, and perfect teamwork on site, the project was completed on time in December 2023 after a year of planning and construction.
Viola Unger describes the greatest added value of owning her own home: “We were able to move in as early as July. From then on, we no longer had to pay the monthly rent, which had always been a major challenge for the women’s group. A total of 120 parents, the majority of whom are women, and 178 children are now benefiting permanently from the savings.” The establishment of a pig farm also provides economic security for the women, who are now finally in a position to actively shape their own future. All those involved expressed their great joy at the completion of the project with a big Christmas party.
Without the generous financial support of the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ), this project would not have been possible. Friends of Rwanda, Love and Care Jyambere Mwana and her women’s group are therefore extremely grateful for the joint realization of this important step towards an inclusive future in Rwanda.
