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Vocational Education, Rwanda

Manos de Madres has been working with WE‐ACTx in Rwanda since 2007 to create sustainable income generation programs in an effort to promote health and wellness and to lift women and their families out of poverty. WE‐ACTx (Women’s Equity in Access to Care and Treatment) is an U.S. based 501C3 women’s treatment and health access initiative operating primarily in the East African nation of Rwanda. During a visit to Rwanda in the spring of 2010, Susan had the opportunity to meet a wonderful group of bright teenagers and young adults who are living with HIV/AIDS and are very motivated to work towards a better life for themselves and their families. They are part of the WE‐ACTx Family Program, which provides them with medical care and counseling services. In order to afford these young adults the opportunity to create a brighter future for themselves and their families, Manos established an initiative to fund vocational education.

The "Sylvia E. Feder Fund for Vocational Education of Young Adults in Rwanda Living with HIV/AIDS” was established in December of 2010 to provide the financial support needed to launch this initiative. It was established in memory of Sylvia E. Feder, mother-in-law of Susan Moinester, grandmother to Arielle and Margot Moinester and woman of extraordinary creativity and love of life. One hundred percent (100%) of donations are applied towards tuition and school fees and uniforms.

The first class of 12 students began a one-year tailoring program at the New Hope Technical Institute in Kigali in January 2011. In addition to providing counseling support, WE‐ACTx is generously giving a transportation and food subsidy to the students to help insure that they have the stamina to successfully complete their studies. As the curriculum of this prestigious vocational school includes business training, the students will be qualified to start their own tailoring business, join a cooperative as a fully contributing member, or work for a private company.

At the time of this writing, 11 of the 12 students have successfully completed their 10 months of academic training. In late October, they started a 3-month internship at the INEZA sewing cooperative. Manos de Madres and WE‐ACTx view the Vocational Education Initiative as a two-year commitment in an effort to insure that each student has the necessary support during their formal education as well as through their first year of work. We look forward to enrolling a second class of students in January of 2013.