On Friday 26th October 2018,the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) launched a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Hope and Homes for Children (HHC). The objective of this MoU is to express the willingness of both parties to engage and combine efforts in activities aiming at the advancement of persons with disabilities with a particular focus on children. The parties confirm to work on a collaborative basis to ensure children with disabilities are guaranteed equal opportunities on family based care.
The Regional Operations Director and Country Director, Mr. HABIMFURA Innocent said that HHC in their project of 3 years, they will put emphasis on ending separation of children from their families pretexting that he/she has disability, supporting the process of receiving children in families and supporting centers to be transformed into day care service providers. Aresearch on the perceptions and attitudes on disabilities will be conducted in order to inform/update behaviour change strategies.
The pilot phase will start in 13 Districts where HHC already operates: (Gasabo, Nyarugenge, Kicukiro, Bugesera, Kayonza, Gatsibo, Kamonyi, Nyanza, Nyamagabe, Gicumbi, Rubavu, Karongi and Rusizi. There is a plan to work in remaining Districts in the following year.
With this purpose, from 25th to 26th October 2018, a two day workshop for District Disability Mainstreaming Officers from those 13 Districts was conducted to reinforce the collaboration of Districts in the implementation of the childcare reform. They mainly discussed on causes of separation and placement in residential care, case management procedures and prevention of child separation and maltreatment.
The Executive Secretary thanked Hope and Homes for Children for its good initiative to include children with disabilities in their programs. He said that it is really thankful to work with them so that no child isl be left behind.