In August, MenCare+ Rwanda launched the MenCare+ “Bandebereho” campaign in Kigali. This campaign addresses topics such as caregiving, sharing household responsibilities, prenatal care, and violence. Each of these themes is covered over a three-week period. The campaign has been launched in 16 different sectors with over 3,500 people attending these launches; the campaign’s reach is expected to grow as more activities are implemented in collaboration with local authorities.
MenCare+ “Bandebereho” has now successfully carried out its first cycle of group education sessions, reaching more than 1,500 participants with activities from a newly adapted manual. In September, all participants who attended group education sessions met with over 750 local authorities and partners. Testimonies that were shared confirmed that the project helped couples gain an understanding about the role men can play in care work and in the health of the mother and child and, most importantly, about gender.
Additionally, in August, more than 105 health providers officially became MenCare+ Bandebereho partners, participating in a workshop organized by MenCare+ Bandebereho and the Rwandan Ministry of Health.
In total, MenCare+ Rwanda has held four workshops with health care providers, each featuring discussions on gender, human rights and local policies on sexual and reproductive health, with a special focus on adolescents and on maternal and child health.