Rulindo: AJECL is going to give 12 million RWF grant to youths to create jobs asking them not to think of it is a waste
Peace Movement organization AJECL (Association des Jeunnes de saint Charles Lwanga), had five days of training youths from four sectors in Rulindo district about entrepreneurship, and asks them to take care about the support it will give them.
The AJECL organization, which started in 2004, aims to build a culture of peace, where it has GWIZAMAHORO 2100 program, which continues to be spread to the peoples through GWIZAMAHORO Clubs.
The founder of this organization; Father Iyakaremye Theogene; whose missionary work is in Ruhuha Parish Archdiocese of Kigali where he is in charge of youth, he says that one of the obstacles to peace is poverty, and this is the reason why they would support the youths and train them to start their own business, and then provide them with loans to help start their projects in groups.
This project was launched on Friday, November 11, 2022 and will last for three years, where It will be carried out in Bushoki, Tumba, Mbogo and Masoro sectors in Rulindo district in six groups.
Father Theogene says “One of the problems people face is poverty, so these projects of ours are aimed at fighting poverty, indirectly are aimed at building peace, we want to raise the awareness of young people in entrepreneurship and give them money to start a business, and we also train them in the culture of working with banks so that once the project is getting at the end, they will not go back, but everything is aimed at protecting the youth from bad habits sometimes caused by poverty, which prevent them from peace”
Father Theogene continues to say that the mentality saying that if you give support to the youth neglects it, should be removed, and he bases this on the fact that some of the youths who are given support to starts projects mismanage it, as the promise he gives, this management will not happen because AJECL will follow up to make this grant loan be useful, so that it will be returned and given to others.
Tuyishimire Leatitia from Masoro sector; says that she once thought of making money from bad habits, but she says that this training on entrepreneurship is useful for her, and the support they are going to receive will help them not to think about going into bad habits. She says “they showed us that often some of the young people’s have poor attitudes but we are determined to change to rich attitudes, and we are not going only to implement our projects but also to help our colleagues who have not received this training to develop as well”
Nduwayezu Etienne is also one of these youths, says “we had problems with the bad attitudes of the youths, by giving values to some Rwandan proverbs discouraging youths; like no one can have hundred years old, the grass is green in other side and others; all these are the obstacles for youths, so now we are going to discover the jobs in our area, to find solutions that will help us to find solutions to poverty, and we shall help our colleagues”
The head of the department of promoting investment and employment in Rulindo district, Madam Josephine Nyiramajyambere, says that they are proud of good cooperation with AJECL organization, because the assistance that is going to help the district to raise young people out of poverty, she confirms that it is a great contribution to fulfilling the promise of creating 4,500 jobs every year. She promises to keep eye on these youths.
She says “as the district administration, we have the first responsibility to follow them day by day, at least every week we will reach them, give them training as entrepreneurs and show them the investment opportunities in the district, so that what they have learned will not be left behind”
Rusine Alex who trains these young people, a consultant who also wrote the book IBANGA RY’UBUKIRE (The secret of Wealth), he asks these young people to become problem hunters in their communities, so as to create projects that respond to problems because they are the ones that will develop them.
He says “every problem comes with its own solution, when problems come; the poor people argue and say, ‘I’m done with it’, but it brings wealth to the rich peoples, so they have to hunt for the problems of residence and go into the gap to find answers because it is known that ones who become rich are ones who answer more questions”
At the beginning, the youth of Bushoke, Tumba, Mbogo and Masoro sectors in Rulindo district, divided in six groups, will be given a support of twelve million RWF; two millionsfor each group, but this support will be given back to other groups.
Reported by Cypridion Habimana
other photos:
