Since the COVID-19 outbreak, life has also changed in Rwanda. As in most countries, the Rwandan Government also enforced people to stay home in order to weaken the pandemic spread. The lockdown particularly affected poorer social classes, where people are mostly dependent on daily wages. Due to the economic trading and service restrictions, these people suffer from an existential crisis – no income for people with no financial backups means no food, no home, no hygienic precautions. This gives infectious diseases, such as Covid-19, the perfect condition to spread more easily and faster.
In order to get some of these people out the existential crisis, RVCP now starts fighting against the SARS-CoV-2 consequences from different angles:
- RVCP supports a group of vulnerable single mothers with food, other urgent things needed and sewing material for their sewing shop to help regenerate their income (more information, see below, photo story)
Responsible Division: RVCP Initiatives - RVCP provides soap, face masks, gloves, supports installing more sanitation and gives prevention courses against spreading of infectious diseases to people with limited internet access and less educational background.
Responsible Division: RVCP Hygiene and Sanitation - RVCP spreads knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, the symptoms and post-syndromes and spreads awareness of getting tested on SARS-CoV-2. Constant exchange between medical students from RVCP, the University Teaching Hospital of Butare in Rwanda and the Heidelberg University in Germany about recent insights into new research results and outcomes of clinical trials about SARS-CoV-2.
Responsible Division: RVCP Diagnostics
We are now asking for any financial or material support in order to continue the support described above. We will primarily use the money to support point 1. and 2.): We will buy food and sewing goods for the single mothers to regenerate their income (see below, photo story) and we will buy hygiene products (soap, face masks, gloves) and provide them to people with low or no income in order to give them a chance to protect themselves from Covid-19 and last but not least also from other infectious diseases.
Already little amounts can help fight against the impacts of SARS-CoV-2.
Thank you for your contribution.
– Your RVCP Team Rwanda and Germany –
Use this bank account when transferring money from a EU/SEPA state in order to save transaction fees (Bank Account RVCP Germany)
RVCP-Frankfurt
IBAN: DE39830944950003005429
BIC: GENODEF1ETK
Bank: EthikBank
Use these bank accounts when transferring money from a non-EU or non-SEPA state (Bank Account RVCP Rwanda)
RVCP Bank account at Bank of Kigali (BK):
1. 00040-06966989-03 (for transferring USD)
2. 00040-06966990-40 (for transferring EURO)
Contact:
Campaign Leader from Germany:
Janina Lehmann (PhD Student and Lecturer in Biochemistry)
E-mail: janina.lehmann@medma.uni-heidelberg.de
Campaign Leader in Rwanda:
Eric Mugabo (Medical Student)
E-mail: ericmugabo03@gmail.com
Shipping Address for Material Support:
Mashyaka Emmanuel (Medical Doctor)
P.Box: 696 Huye, Rwanda
Southern province, Huye District, Huye Center
Tel:+250788502199
E-mail: mashyaka@rwandavcp.org
Photo story about RVCP´s recently founded sewing project for single mothers to generate a stable income
This is a photo story about the beginning of a new project, the generation of a stable income of single mothers. However, this project was interrupted in the middle of its income-generation-phase due to the Covid-19 lockdown where work as a sewer in sewing shops was no longer allowed. Hence, the mother’s couldn´t earn money during the lockdown. Since this income generation project has just started before the lockdown and larger savings couldn´t be achieved in this short amount of time, the mothers, their children and their relatives have quickly used up all their little financial savings already at the beginning of the lockdown. They were thrown back into a financial unstable situation, which we now want to improve with financial and material support.
*** All pictures were taken shortly before the Covid-19 outbreak in Rwanda
This is Alice, a single mother holding her child, she lives with her mom (left). Her father died recently. Eric (left) and Brandon (right), RVCP volunteers, who were helping find Alice and her mom a new income source – they recruited them and further single mothers to a sewing shop.
After successful recruitment, the single mothers were offered a practical training for six months by a well experienced trainer (lady with headscarf). They were trained in making several products from fabrics – usual clothes, gloves, bags, earrings, wallets and other products on request.
This is Diane, one of the sewing shop trainees, sewing a simple shopping bag. After training completion, the trained mothers make money for enabling themselves and their children a better life. RVCP educates them in finance, e.g. to regularly save money in order to build up financial reserves. They started earning money a few weeks before the Covid-19 lockdown, which interrupted them building up an appropriate amount of financial reserves to overcome them. RVCP comes up with opportunities to distribute and sell their self-made products.
RVCP organizes community assemblies for marketing the sewing shop products while also educating the community about hot topics at once. This was the International Women´s Day 2020, just before the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown in Rwanda. Local leaders and villagers were invited, women empowerment messages were spread. The sewing mothers with their self-made products were introduced at the event – many of their products were bought directly. These assemblies continue from now on with the respective Covid-19 distancing rules.
This shows Rukara primary school students wearing uniforms sewed by the single mothers. The uniforms were offered to a fair price – a win-win for both the sewing mothers and the students. This additionally boosted the tailoress´ income.
RVCP volunteers teaching single mothers about Sexual & Reproductive Health and Healthy Nutrition. Here, Emile and Andrea (RVCP partner, middle) were educating them in menstrual hygiene. They showed them how to sew reusable menstruation pads that are distributed to high school girls in menstrual hygiene campaigns.
