Canton residents visit Rwanda with UNICEF

UNICEF supporters Tim and Lorraine Nelson of Canton took a five-day trip to Rwanda to see UNICEF’s work in the country firsthand.

Lorraine and Tim Nelson with local children outside a school in Rwanda

The trip began with a moving visit to the Gisozi Memorial Center, a museum that documents the horrific genocide of 1994, and holds a permanent exhibit on the history of genocide around the world. Following this introduction to the country, the Nelsons visited the Gitagata Child Protection Center, which offered a meaningful look into the care of vulnerable children, many of them left homeless by the genocide.

The next morning began with a trip to Gitarama Prison, where UNICEF is providing psycho-social support to young children living in prison with their mothers. Tim and Lorraine then traveled to the OPDE Center, where UNICEF works to reintegrate street children back with their families, many who were separated during the genocide. The center also boasts a vocational center which trains children who are unable to attend school in trades so that they may make a living.

The third day offered the Nelsons a look into the schools in Rwanda, where they were able to see the differences between a “normal” primary school, and one that is child friendly and includes components such as UNICEF-sponsored WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities. The Nelsons were also able to stop en route to Lake Kivu at a pumping station to see how UNICEF is working with local governments and communities to increase access to water supply and sanitation facilities.

An interesting and innovative program at Kinigi Early Childhood Development and Health Center impressed Tim and Lorraine on the fourth day. The center demonstrated how rapid SMS mobile phone technology and simple community nutrition approaches have saved thousands of lives, proving how vital technological advances can be in countries like Rwanda. Later that day, the Nelsons visited the pediatric wing and newly constructed maternity wing at the Musanze District Hospital to see how UNICEF support at the decentralized level impacts child and maternal health.

Their final day provided the family with a look into pediatric HIV care and treatment at TRACPlus, and a concluding visit to Kacyiru Police Hospital One Stop Center. The UNICEF-supported One Stop Center provides comprehensive care to survivors of gender-based or child domestic violence, and is being studied as a model so that similar centers can be created throughout Rwanda. The trip provided a wide-ranging look into some of the key issues in Rwanda and showed how UNICEF is working to try and change the difficult conditions in the country.

UNICEF has saved more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF’s work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 4 2011. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.