Rwanda – (FP) Disabled Child and Mother Welfare

Raising a child who has a disability in Rwanda can often leave parents feeling frustrated, lonely, exhausted, and overwhelmed by day-to-day life in a culture that traditionally considers a newborn with disability to be a curse on the family. This often leads to family conflict and divorce, leaving the mother as sole provider and caregiver. In many cases the social stigma and financial burden is too much. This project aims to improve the welfare of female-headed homes caring for a child with disability by sensitizing AEBR church staff and leaders to the issue, facilitating advocacy workshop in the Bugesera district, providing child-care assistance, mental and emotional support for both mother and child, and food security solutions in the form of seeds, chickens, and trees. The long-term goal of this project is to see improved integration of children with disabilities into society, beginning at the level of the local church.