Empowerment for Young Single Mothers

Sex education is still a taboo subject in Rwanda. Therefore, lack of education, but also poverty, violence and abuse are some of the reasons why early unwanted pregnancies often occur among girls and women. As a result, young women are rejected by society and often have to drop out of school. They therefore lack career prospects and opportunities to support themselves and their children, which is why they mostly live a life of poverty and dependence.

Since 2019, the project has been training young single mothers in sewing in the Rutsiro district in western Rwanda, thus enabling them and their children to lead a life in dignity.

The project is aimed at young, single mothers up to the age of 30. Every year, 150 young mothers benefit from the project’s tailor training. At the same time, the families of the single mothers and other pregnant girls and women in the region benefit indirectly from the project.

The majority of young mothers are left to fend for themselves, as they are socially marginalised and often face rejection and lack of support even within their families. Without a completed school education, hardly any of the young women have an independent future perspective, with the result that many earn their living with odd jobs. In addition, not only the young mothers themselves suffer from the discriminatory living conditions and educational opportunities, but also their children. Their young lives are often marked by the lack of education and medical care.

The project was founded to help young single mothers reintegrate into society by training them to become tailors and thus generate an income. Furthermore, the project teaches the women their existing rights, empowers them in their situation and provides them with legal support if necessary. In addition, the project tries to prevent unwanted pregnancies through educational work, among other things. The project also focuses on promoting gender equality and combating gender-specific violence.

Through our support, 1 1/2 new positions were created in the existing center, increasing the quality of education and providing additional much needed psychological support for the young mothers.

In addition, during the Corona pandemic, the young mothers were provided with material to sew masks and sell them, thus generating a small income of their own.