Delinquency, or minor crime, especially that committed by young people, is on a decline following the establishment of Nyamasheke Youth-Friendly Centre, authorities in the area mainly impacted by the facility have announced.
Located in Kagano Sector, Nyamasheke District, the facility established in 2012 was renovated in November 2022 and properly equipped to deliver adolescent, sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) services to youth in the district. It was provided with equipment to enable the youth play, socialise and acquire economic skills such as sewing, shoe making, and hair dressing.
According to Athanase Mbyayingabo, the Executive Secretary of Nyamasheke District, the facility also helped the district in decreasing cases of smuggling, and street children.
"The centre is considerably helping youth from Nyamasheke despite the fact that we still have many of them who have not joined it as per our population figures. It provides lessons of prevention of misbehaviour and short courses too," he said.
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Figures from the district show that since 2012, about 4,000 youths have graduated from the centre after obtaining various skills, and in so doing, bolstering livelihoods within their respective communities. A number of them formed cooperatives.
"We're seeing a decline in the number of youths who engage in drug abuse, teenage pregnancies and smuggling as a result of the centre. We have community peer educators at sector level who teach good behaviour among their relatives," he added.
Renovated and equipped under the 2019-2024 Rwanda-Belgium Bilateral Program through the Belgian development agency, Enabel, the center is helping former drug users from Nyamasheke District and in other districts where the project runs.
"Former drug addicts are now motivated and busy making money," said Melanie Mukantagara, the acting Barame Intervention Manager at Enabel.
The Barame project is a health sector intervention financed by Enabel and implemented in seven districts including Nyamasheke District. The project pays attention to the needs of adolescents, newborns, children under five, and pregnant women.
Figures from Enabel show a reduction of teen pregnancies rate at 21 per cent from 4,120 cases between 2021 and 2022 and 3,296 cases recorded from 2022 to 2023 in Nyamasheke, Karongi, Rusizi, Gakenke, Rulindo, Gisagara and Nyarugenge districts.
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Enabel indicates that teenage deliveries and sexual transmitted infections decreased.
Asked why the numbers are low, Mukantagara said that there is an increase in reporting gender-based violence (GBV) cases compared to the past years as communities are mobilized day-to-day.
"It could be attributed to the increase of GBV cases and better reporting but the behavior changes are not like we expect; it takes time," she said.
Despite having inadequate youth friendly centres across the country, the ones in place remain pivotal; helping young people who have never been to school such as Ange Uwituze (not real names) who got pregnant at 17.
"Youth with no educational background are more interested in these centres and eager to learn more about their health," she said, noting that she benefited a lot.
