FEC Project Success Stories
1.I’am 41 years old and my wife is 35. We have been married for a long time. Our firstborn is 12 years old and has 4 siblings. In short, we are a family of 7 members. I had been using cannabis since the day we pulled weeds. We separated several times and my wife stayed away from the house due to my aggressiveness and misunderstandings. I used to beat her and my children very hard. Mostly, our children suffered a lot, they didn’t have to eat and suffered from severe malnutrition. They couldn’t go to school, they couldn’t have clothes, we couldn’t even have health insurance (Mutuelle). Even if I was working, I couldn’t cover their basic needs, the money were used to buy cannabis drug only. After being sensitized and coached through different sessions and advices of the Community Facilitator, I started changing my behavior and managed to save some money not for doping but for family investment. At the beginning, I bought 3 goats, after a while I bought a cow. Currently I have stopped taking drugs, we live safely in our family, the children go to school, they eat enough, we have health insurance and my wife here can also testify. His wife thanked her husband for the transformation made and the project that allowed them to find peace in family. “Today we can sleep and plan for our future. Every time he promises something, we are sure he will keep his promise. We are fine and have clean clothes. The children are also doing well, they go to school, they have enough to eat and we are a happy family.”
2. A couple from MANYAGIRO Sector. The husband is 36 years old and his wife 33. This couple have 3 children. The husband expressed his gratitude to the community facilitators for their support. He reveled that his family lived in insecurity before benefiting from the counseling activities and sessions of community facilitators. He was drug dealer and he used to consume drugs. His family sometimes slept outside of the house, because of his aggressiveness linked to drug consumption. As results, his two children did not go to school due to this situation and father’s behaviors. They lived in fear, endless misunderstanding among father and mother, and they couldn’t have school materials. With support of community facilitators, awareness of the impact of these behaviors and the need to change; make him to embrace his new life. Nowadays, he is in harmony with all family members. His wife says that he used to sleep away from home and even when he was in the house, they were always afraid to be beaten and looked for a hide for her and children. Actually, the lady said she is grateful: “he has changed, we are safe, things have changed”.
Nyarutarama Cell. Let’s name them K.A and M.A respectively wife and husband. The wife born in 1983 and the husband in 1982. They have 5 children among them 4 children are under 18 years. This couple lived in conflict for 6 years due to the use of drugs specifically marijuana. The family had no food and couldn’t sent children to school. Consuming drugs created a chaotic situation of persistent conflict where the mother and her children suffered a lot and couldn’t stay in house but used to sleep outside, due to the lack of safety in this family. The husband was mostly violent at any occasion. This situation deepened the feeling of fear, anger and sadness among the family members. With the support of Community facilitator via one-to-one counseling session, the husband healed up progressively, start to see the reality and choose to tell the truth about the cause of conflict which was the use of marijuana. This is often classified as a copied mechanism from past personal negative experience. The family members explored its negative impact on they common life such as the education of children, the ability to cover family wants and needs, family health and wellness , and their contribution to the local community, the whole society and country in general. Then the husband started to understand the roots of all problems and its consequences for his family. He decided to change his behavior.
Consequentially, their children returned to school after a long time without studying! He is now committing to his responsibilities and children have basic needs. The family bought 3 goats and a pig and children are free now and openly communicate with both parents although before they would never approach their father due to fear of violence. Today, the family is safe, living in harmony serving as role model for whole the village.
Project Pictures representing each activity
for Children activities.
3. The next case is for a couple of Nyiramahirwe Claudine and Sibomana Jean Claude. Their case was place under one Community Facilitator of Gicumbi District Rukomo Sector Cyuru Cell, who uplifted the family in their struggle. The wife born in 2001 and the husband in 1995 they have 1 child of 11months. This couple was living in conflict for 2years and due to the use of alcohol the family had extreme poverty. Between conflict and suspicion of infidelity in one side, two weeks after marriage they started fighting slowly destroying their couple. The volunteer initiated counseling sessions form them and regularly visited them at home. After a certain time of trial and fail process, the family is now in harmony. “My husband bought a bicycle which was previously impossible before. He worked hard to earn money and has bought it from his earnings. We saved money for breeding of domestic animals and we continue the process of rebuilding our family, our child is now registered in civil registration program and we care about our family peace.
3. This family has been struggling and in conflict and this caused the wife and children to stay outside every night because there was no safety in this house. They had fear, anger and sadness due to such living conditions. With the support of Community facilitator in one-to-one counseling session and the husband began to tell the reality and truth about the cause of conflict which is due taking of marijuana as a copying mechanism from past personal negative experience from his family. The explored its negative impact on his family such as children that are out of school, the family did not have food, the children did not have clothes, they could not sleep, no mutual insurance and more. Then the man started to understand the problems and its consequences in the family and from then he decided to change his behavior. The impact of that change is that children returned to school after a long time without studying, children have basic needs and now they bought 3 goats and a pig; children are free now and openly communicate with both parents yet before they would never approach their father due to fear. Today, the family is safe, living in harmony and role model at the village.
