Teachers and parents of deaf young girls and other girl children with disabilities in Musanze district benefited from the training on family planning, Sexual Reproductive Health as well as Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) to equip them with the skills to help their children.
The training that took place in Musanze district, Northern province of Rwanda on January 19, 2023, was organized by Rwanda National Association of Deaf Women (RNADW) in partnership with AfroArk and Hope for Single Mothers with Disabilities (HSMD) and was conducted under the theme ‘Your protection doesn’t protect me’.
Teachers and parents of deaf young girls and other girl children with disabilities acquired knowledge in Family Planning concepts and different contraception methods.
The training was vital to save lives of deaf young girls and other girls with disabilities who are pre-exposed to sexual violence due to lack of knowledge about SRH and how to prevent SGBV.
Dativa Mukashema, RNADW Executive Director encouraged parents to strive for the wellbeing of their children by trying to respect family planning.
She advised parents to try boost communication with deaf girls at home by using drawings and try create signs to give them information on SRH and SGBV.
“You must understand that sexual violence is around among children and adolescents, especially deaf girls and other girls with disabilities. Try to prevent it and once it happens, help the victims to get assistance,” Mukashema told parents and teachers.
Fatuma INGABIRE, a nurse at Muhoza Health Center in Musanze district, told parents and teachers that Family planning and SRH education is a right to adolescents with disabilities. She showed them different contraception methods and how they are used.
“As parents, you should explain to children in details how their bodies function when they reach adolescence stage,” she said.
She told parents to be closer of their children, to hear from them and give them right information about SRH, also encouraging them to send children at health centers for more clarification.
Joseph Murenzi, District Chief Investigator, Musanze district Rwanda investigation Bureau (RIB) explained the four types of SGBV, including Sexual Violence, Physical Violence, Emotional and Psychological Violence, as well as Socio-Economic Violence, that can happen in the families or in the community wide.
He said that sexual violence is still around especially rape and defilement, and can be committed by everyone. He gave an example of a recent case of a 72-year-old man who defiled a child in Musanze.
He encouraged teachers to know children’s behaviors. “Children trust you more, so, tell them what is violence and how they can get support when they become victims,” he said.
Kagiraneza Mujyambere, investigator at Isange One Stop Center (IOSC) explained that they have different services to the victims of SGBV, including health assistance, Justice, legal assistance and trauma healing. He urged parents, teachers and members of the community to provide timely information so that every concerned entity intervenes in saving children,”
Teachers, parents speak out
One teacher said that children still fear to ask their parents about SRH issues, because they beat them saying it is a taboo to say about sexuality. “One child told me: “I cannot ask this my father because he can beat me,”-Yet, children need supplementary education at home on SRH.
Another teacher advised parents to make children their close friends, go together to the church or outside for leisure. “When you do not do this for your child, violence perpetrator will do it for her and violate her,”
Philomene Nyirangoragore, one of the trained parents appreciated the lessons learnt, saying that they will manage as parents, to talk to their children and tell them the truth about SRH.
“Nobody choses to be born with disability, so, I encourage parents of deaf girls to be closer to them and treat them well, give them what they want and show them love. As they build friendship with children, they will also manage to educate them about SRH,” she said.
Patience Iribagiza, AfroArk Executive Director reminded teachers, parents, guardians and other stakeholders to do their responsibilities in preventing SGBV among children and help them once they become victims.
Winnie Tumwine, Executive Director of Hope for Single Mothers with Disabilities (HSMD) called up on all stakeholders including parents and teachers to strive for all children’s welfare and treat them equally.
