Forty young people in Nyamasheke District who had dropped out of secondary school have graduated from vocational training and received start-up toolkits to help them enter the job market.
The training was conducted under the Igire Gimbuka project, implemented by Caritas Rwanda with support from BK Foundation. The initiative aims to empower disadvantaged youth by equipping them with practical skills and the tools to build a livelihood.
Speaking at the graduation and handover ceremony, project coordinator Jean Ntakirutimana said the beneficiaries were selected based on the hardships they face in society.
“There are different criteria we use to select youth for this project, such as girls who became mothers while still children, children born to HIV-positive parents or living with HIV themselves, and children of parents engaged in prostitution,” he explained.
Each graduate received equipment corresponding to the trade they studied, enabling them to immediately seek employment or start their own businesses.
BK Foundation, one of the project’s partners, says more than 200 young people have already benefited from Igire Gimbuka, including the 40 from Nyamasheke. The foundation invested more than Rwf 45 million to cover tuition and purchase toolkits.
“Education is one of the three pillars of BK Foundation, and it is the one we prioritize most,” said Noel Uwayo, an official at BK Foundation. “That’s why we decided to support these young people who had encountered serious challenges, so they could continue learning vocational skills. These skills will help them find work or create their own jobs quickly.”
Nyamasheke District’s Vice Mayor for Social Affairs, Athanasie Mukankusi, praised the initiative, urging graduates to use the equipment productively.
“We consider this initiative very valuable because it restores dignity to these children,” she said. “Some were teenage mothers who thought they had no future, but today they have studied, graduated, and received tools that can help them build careers. These tools are expensive, and they’ve been lacking them for years. Now that they’ve been given this chance, we urge them to use them wisely in the job market for long-term sustainability, rather than selling them for quick cash.”
For many beneficiaries, the training has been life-changing. Grace Mukeshimana, who dropped out of school after becoming a mother, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to rebuild her future.
“Through Caritas and BK Foundation, I studied tailoring in Karongi. They supported me, and I learned a lot. Now I can sew professionally. May God bless them. I only request further support so that we can come together, work in groups, and continue building experience to become successful people in the future.”
The graduates, drawn from 15 sectors of Nyamasheke District, completed six months of vocational training in trades including construction, welding, mechanics, tailoring, and beauty services, followed by six months of on-the-job internships.
