Tuvuge twiyubaka

Jean Ntawizigira, you are one of the 2021 winners of the Institut Cerba's call for internal projects. How do you feel at being awarded one of the prizes?  

I am delighted of course that the project put forward by my association has been selected by the Institut Cerba from among the many applications sent in. For me, this means that what we do is recognized, and, on top of that, by an organization of international stature.  

Can you tell us about the cause your association is defending?  

Tuvuge twiyubaka is the Rwandan name of our association. It means "Let's talk about developing ourselves".  

After the war and the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994, people no longer spoke to each other. The association was created in 2006 by 20 citizens in order to renew dialogue: we were convinced that all progress, especially social progress, takes place on the basis of dialogue. So the original idea was to find a way of bringing people together to talk about building and developing their own community. 

Tuvuge twiyubaka aspires to a peaceful, sustainable and economically secure society in which human rights are respected. It promotes a culture of peace and non-violence, one that ensures everyone can develop their capabilities to the maximum. In all its activities, Tuvuge twiyubaka uses dialogue as a method of solving problems, especially social problems. 
 

What made you want to get involved in this cause?  

It was when I saw the members of the association helping vulnerable people in my own community that I decided to join in. I became a member of Tuvuge twiyubaka in 2007, one year after its creation. This commitment brings a lot of joy to me. I like being out interacting with people, and I feel that I am contributing to improving the life of the community.  

How does Tuvuge twiyubaka intend to use the Institut Cerba’s award?  

The financial support from the Institut Cerba will enable us to implement a health and nutrition project in the localities of Rususa and Kirehe, in the Kamegeri sector of the Southern Province’s Nyamagabe district. In concrete terms, the objective is to teach workers in this community about matters of hygiene and nutrition, so that they can then share this knowledge with the wider population. We have found that there is a widespread lack of understanding of these subjects. For example, many people do not realize that there are foods that they can afford which would be better for their health than what they eat at present. At Tuvuge twiyubaka, we strongly believe in the capacity that people have to improve their own lives once they have the necessary awareness.  

Is there any final message you would like to convey?   

I would like to express my gratitude to the Institut Cerba for making available the funding for such non-profit and humanitarian activities. It increases my motivation to do even more.