Turengere ubuzima Skills Development Centre, one of the community-based initiative in Gicumbi district, Northern Rwanda is transforming the lives of rural Rwandans to ensure a better standard of living by equipping them with skills in tailoring.
During the first graduation ceremony at the training center in Miyove Sector of Gicumbi district, 15 trainees passed out from the Tailoring department.
Turengerubuzima Association is a community group initiated and facilitated by a CorpsAfrica Volunteer.
CorpsAfrica is a non-profit organization that recruits and places ambitious young Africans in remote, high-poverty communities in their own countries to facilitate small-scale, high-impact projects that are identified by local people, fulfill key needs.
All fifteen students were awarded certificates after completing their Tailoring courses, including sewing.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Wellars Nduwayezu, Health and Sanitation Officer in Miyove Sector, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the Sector, thanked CorpsAfrica/Rwanda for working with Miyove Community in their development journey by instilling mindset changes and empowering the community to lead their own development and he encouraged the trainees to use the skills acquired in seizing available opportunities.
“Now you have graduated from this skills development Center; you are now able to live on your knowledge. We thank you for your commitment and look forward to celebrating your development,” said Mr. Wellars Nduwayezu, Health and Sanitation Officer in Miyove Sector.
“Technical Vocational and Educational Training is what everyone is talking about worldwide and is a long-term solution. The world has now agreed that acquiring marketable skills would be an added value to anyone possessing such skills. So, this Skills Development Center is a lifetime opportunity to fight against poverty.” He added.
Tubanenimana Henriette, a trainee, said that before enrolling in the center, she could not earn any money and couldn’t afford all her basic needs. She was hopeless about her future because She had no technical skills to help her make money.
“Almost three years on, I always hoped to work on my sewing skills, but I needed guidance. I was so lucky to join this center. I have enjoyed attending the tailoring class. I hope that the gained skills will help me earn and take care of my grandmother,” said Henriette Tubanenimana, a graduate from the training.
Maddison Collins, CorpsAfrica’s Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator commended the visited community for its efforts toward driving sustainable change and called upon sustaining their achievements and expanding skills and best practices to the neighboring communities.
Ms. Maddison Collins, CorpsAfrica’s Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator
” I am happy to see what you have achieved, and I am very sure that your led development is an exceptional model for CorpsAfrica, and it gives hope that all communities around Africa will learn from your success. I would like to request that you share your best practices with your neighbors so that they will attain sustainable development as well. Congratulations again,” said Maddison.
Turengerubuzima Skills Development Center interventions will benefit to 100 beneficiaries and create jobs for women and youth in the community, and 2000 indirect beneficiaries will also be impacted.
CorpsAfrica, a Non-Profit Organization founded in 2011 by a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, recruits, trains, and sends college-educated young Africans for one year to live in remote villages in their own countries to facilitate small-scale, high-impact projects that local people identify.
CorpsAfrica started its operation in Rwanda in August 2018. Volunteers undergo a month-long Pre-Service Training (PST) with intensive Human-Centered Design (HCD), and Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approaches, after which they are deployed to their carefully selected sites across Rwanda for a period of one year.
