Reintegration of street-connected children in Rwanda

Overview

This podcast is the second of three episodes on the topic of ‘Integration and Reintegration of Children on the Move’. We will be talking to Chaste Uwihoreye, who is the Country Director at Uyisenga Ni Imanzi, in Rwanda, in Sub-Saharan Africa. Uyisenga Ni Imanzi was established in 2002 in response to the high number of children and young adults who became orphans and heads of their households as a result of the Rwandan genocide, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Uyisenga’s aim is to build the resilience of children, facilitate their reintegration into society, and to promote their rights in families and communities.

In Rwanda, in 2020, almost 3,000 children were living on the street as a consequence of family poverty, the death of parents, the need for income to survive, juvenile delinquency or mistreatment at home. Street-connected children are regularly exposed to physical and sexual violence, and levels of drug use are high. Uyisenga believes that if children are to develop and participate in society to the fullest of their abilities, they must be protected in the home and community. They must be supported to interact with children and adults, and they must benefit from organised early childhood development, education and care.

Listen