Work
on Geri Skeen (Rwanda), 13/Feb/2011 15:37, 34 days ago
I realise I haven’t written anything here about my work at YWCA, though I have sent some of you emails about work. Work has been added to the list of things I don’t write about on my blog, for fear of offending anyone. What I am prepared to say is that YWCA Rwanda was set up following the genocide in 1994, to support widows, prisoners’ wives and orphans. It does some extremely valuable work with these people. The programme for young people orphaned by the genocide or by HIV/AIDS is providing extremely valuable support to young people left in the position of heads of household, trying to look after younger siblings. YWCA works with these orphans and vulnerable children by grouping the heads of households together in support groups. These children are shown how to run a household and care for younger children. They are supported financially so that they have access to medical care and can continue their schooling. They are supported by YWCA’s four social workers, and also by a mentor chosen by the group. This will be an adult living in their community. Each group also comes up with an idea for making money and is supported to set this up. (That is in addition to the cultivation of crops which is something virtually every Rwandan household does.) One group for example makes greetings cards using banana bark collage. I met the young man who leads that group; now a confident young man who is supporting other orphans as he was supported.I’ve not yet agreed with the YWCA manager what I will focus on. We held a strategy day this week so that will help us establish priorities. Hopefully we’ll spend some time together next week as a management team analysing that data and drafting our vision, mission and objectives. It will make fund-raising and focus of our time and effort much easier. It’s likely I may spend quite a bit of time re-designing their website.