MBWIRANDUMVA Initiative is currently supporting over 700 female-headed families, and 770 children. But the numbers of beneficiaries are increasing as our capacity to care for them increases. We are engaged in a variety of activities as explained below:

1. Skills Training

Specific emphasis has been put on training. Annually, 30 orphan girls are being trained in tailoring and embroidery.

They are also introduced to management skills and income-generating project planning. A small bakery unit was established to teach girls how to bake bread, sandwiches,etc... This could enable them to start their own business or get employed.

2. Trauma Counseling

A counselor provides regular individual contacts. The Counselor blends traditional and modern methods of trauma management. Life skills are emphasized for young girls and young women to be themselves and live in dignity. Trauma healing is the foundation on which other developments may be built.

3. Micro-Projects Funding

The beneficiaries of micro-credit are briefly trained in managing micro income-generating projects. MBWIRANDUMVA has funded projects related to:

▪ Cottage activities like weaving sweaters;

▪ Produce (foodstuffs) stalls;

▪ General retail trading;

▪ Second-hand clothes selling;

▪ Small-scale restaurant business;

▪ Small-scale animal farming; and

▪ Handicrafts business, like bangles.

The loan repayment period is usually 12 months to a small revolving fund. As our capacity increases, we shall embrace wider activities.

4. Shelter

Some of the widows are internally displaced. A low cost small housing estate for some of these widows has been set up at Kabeza Village, Kanombe district, Kigali Province. The project was financed by ARDEC. The need for shelter is still overwhelming. There are still hundreds of internally displaced people.

5. Seminars

We attend external seminars organised by other NGOs and Government. This increases our capacity to handle gender issues. Internally, seminars for our beneficiaries are organised to sensitize them on gender issues, human rights, primary health care, community reintegration and so on and so forth. During this period of change, it is important that children, adolescents and adults are carried along together in the same stream of developement so as to avoid disharmony. This is more true in a country where there are no institutions for easy communication with grassroot communities.

6. Medical care

Medical services besides counseling are provided for our beneficiaries as the need arises.

7. Education

We support formal and informal education for girls who are registered with us. We cover tuition, scholastic materials, meals and other personal needs. There are still very large numbers of orphans requesting financial support.
Where possible, we could provide higher learning education to them. Two girls have been awarded sponsorship by outside sponsors to further their education.
Thanks go to Rogers Anderson of the Presbyterian church (USA) for supporting Grace TESIRE to further her college studies at Day Star University in Kenya. Then Outreach Foundation (USA) which sponsors Claudia NISHIMWE at the same University.

Shortcomings in MBWIRANDUMVA Initiative

The above mentioned are the main current activities carried out by MBWIRANDUMVA Initiative.
However, We are faced with numerous problems, but the major ones are associated with :

· Lack of transport vehicles for goods and staff;

· lack of adequate education financial support for orphans;

· shortage of manpower in relation to needs; and

· inadequate funds for income-generating projects to provide us sustainable base.

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