Zonta International team in Rwanda
A team of officials from Zonta International have commended Rwanda’s various initiatives aimed at advancing the status of women in the country. The group was visiting the Kacyiru Police Hospital this week.
Zonta is an international service organization founded in Buffalo, New York in 1919 with the mission of advancing the status of women through service delivery and advocacy.
It is the major funder of the Programme for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT), Family Package project and Isange One Stop Centre which operates under Kacyiru Police Hospital, through United Nations and Imbuto Foundation.
“Today, I found a very good system, and I like the Family Package concept. The government is doing great work. It makes me happy seeing what this project has done for Rwandans,” said Pauliina Auckee, head o delegation.
She added: “You can see the beneficiaries are very happy and you can see it in what they are doing and the way they respond. I really hope that the government will continue this kind of work.”
The Family Package includes prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and provision of health care, prenatal and obstetrical services, linkage to reproductive health programs, nutritional support, psychosocial services and income-generating activities to HIV-positive mothers.
The project currently operates in 27 health centres in six districts in the country, where women get antenatal care and those found to be HIV positive are organized in associations and cooperatives and supported to start small income generating activities.
Radegonde Ndejuru, the Director General of Imbuto Foundation commended the two international organizations – Zonta International and UN – for their commitment to contribute towards improvement of the health of mothers and children in Rwanda.
According to poice sources, at Kacyiru Police Hospital, alone, a total of 124 who are HIV positive are organized in a handcraft cooperative society called Impore. The women earn approximately Rwf50, 000 through selling their goods.
