Nurturing SRHR services in refugee Camps

Many communities in Rwanda are faced with the challenge of underage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is associated with many other issues, such as psychological, health, unemployment, school drop off, exclusion from family and community, etc.

 According to Never Again Rwanda (

https://neveragainrwanda.org/youth-unemployment-and-perplexing-access-to-finance-in-rwanda/#:~:text=Basically%2C%20Rwanda%20has%20a%20considerable,achieved%20secondary%20education%20while%2032.4%25), young people face high unemployment and delinquency contributing to teenage pregnancy. Basically, Rwanda has a considerable number of unemployed and underemployed youth.  The youth unemployment patterns in Rwanda show that 12.2% of unemployed youth have no education, 39.4% have achieved secondary education while 32.4%. are university graduates. Youth delinquencies in the country is caused by drug abuse, prostitution, alcoholism, informal streets vending, family conflicts, begging and vagrancy. According to a recent study on rehabilitation centers conducted by Institute of Policy Analysis and Research-IPAR Rwanda (IPAR), 55% of Rwandan young men at the age of 21 and 43% between 15-18 are either taking or have been taking drugs, while 12.5% of the same age are either engaged or have been engaging in different criminal activities. 76.4% of those who go to rehabilitation centers are Rwandan youth between 18-37 years. So, the dominant age of delinquent behaviors are employable youth who are unemployed. 

Refugee camps face critical challenges in providing adequate services for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for displaced populations. This problem statement highlights the urgent need to ensure comprehensive SRHR services within the limited resources and complex contexts of refugee camps. The  SRHR in these camps necessitates immediate attention to safeguard the dignity, resilience, and basic rights of refugees, advocating for effective policies, resources, and culturally sensitive interventions.

• Awareness and Education: Develop targeted educational programs within the camp, focusing on SRHR, reducing stigma, and promoting understanding of transmissible diseases. These programs should be culturally sensitive, multilingual, and easily accessible.
• Community-Based Initiatives: Engage and empower the refugee community itself to be part of the solution. Train community health workers (from the refugee camps) to provide basic SRHR support, and utilize community leaders to disseminate SRHR information and advocate for healthier practices.
• Safe Spaces: Create safe spaces within the camps where refugees, especially women and girls, can access SRHR information, receive support, and discuss their concerns openly. These spaces can foster a sense of community and provide a platform for addressing mental health issues.
• Capacity Building:  Provide training for healthcare providers within the camps to ensure they are equipped to address both mental health and SRHR needs. This includes training on trauma-informed care, cultural sensitivity, and addressing the unique challenges faced by refugees.

This solution will improve the lives of over 3,000 young refugees in Rwandan refugee camps who are victimized by sexual exploitation and harassment by educating them how to maintain their health and fight for their basic rights. These young refugees will include adolescent and teenage mothers, HIV-positive individuals, victims of gender-based violence, and other young refugees.  

We believe that this solution will impact the lives of young refugees in the following ways:

Positive Health Behavior Change: Education and awareness campaigns will lead to positive changes in health behaviors, such as practicing safe sex, seeking early medical care, and adopting healthy hygiene practices.

Resilience and Coping Skills: support young refugees with tools and methodologies to avoid unwanted pregnancies and transmissible diseases. This increased resilience can help individuals better navigate the challenges of displacement and rebuilding their lives.

Reduced Gender-Based Violence: Comprehensive SRHR programs will address issues of gender-based violence and promote healthy relationships, contributing to a safer and more secure environment for women and girl.

Rwanda Youth in Action Organization (RYAO) is a youth led organization that nurtures and empowers youth to be the next generation of change makers in order to contribute to the socio-economic development of their societies.

The RYAO structure is composed by:

• The General Assembly of Rwanda Youth in Action Organization is composed of all members of RWANDA YOUTH IN ACTION. The General Assembly acts also as the Board of Directors and is the main decision-making group.

• The Executive Committee is composed of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and two Advisors. President is the same as the Chairman of the Board and also the Legal Representative
• The Executive Committee works closely with the Auditing Committee and the Coordination office and meets frequently to follow up on the daily management of the organization and the decisions of the General Assembly
• The Auditing Committee is composed by two internal audit who are appointed by the General Assembly to carry out the financial control of accounts and other assets of the organization.
• The Coordination Office is composed of the team in charge of the daily operations of RWANDA YOUTH IN ACTION. It is headed by an Executive Director who is assisted by a Management team of Heads of Departments, assisted by the team of all Rwanda Youth in Action Organization personnel.
• Rwanda Youth in Action Organization has a team of full time paid staff and a team of volunteers (Facilitators and Counsellors).

RYAO has implemented a lot of initiatives of SRHR in secondary schools and high learning institutions in terms of workshops and provision of tools and equipment that facilitate young people t access the services. We have worked with refugee camps in peace education.

The following sets are where the provided solution is novel:
1. Providing comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), peer-to-peer education in their camps on SRH issues, consultation and provision of modern contraceptives, counselling and advocacy for safe abortion care, prevention and care of STIs, prevention and care for HIV/AIDS, prevention and care of violence against women and girls (VAWG), and counselling and advocating on prevention of harmful traditional practices

2. Providing clear, intelligible information that both literate and illiterate people can understand through sign posts, social media platforms, and nonverbal communication cues.

3. Despite these, we want to use attractive model that involves entertainment: we will use sports, concerts, dance and drama, arts and music to reach out to many young refugees and surrounding young people 

To lessen the effects of early pregnancies, gender-based violence, and transmissible diseases, we want to build refugee camps with fully accessible information and services on SRHR. We aim to educate young people to make wise decisions regarding their SRH in order to alter the behaviors of refugee groups and improve their SRHR skills.

This solution is based on training and obtaining SRH services in the refugee camp communities where there is a shortage of services. The theory of change for this solution is that when young refugees are given skills and information on SRHR, they can improve their livelihood through reduced early pregnancies, transmissible diseases, and other concerns brought about by ignorance of SRH.  

More than 3000 young people will benefit from the interventions of this solution

This solution will be having 3 full - time staff and 12 volunteers who will work as facilitators, counsellors and contractors

For so many years ago we have been involved in SRHR in Rwandan communities 

We will make sure to involve all young people, including boys, girls, and those with disabilities, and we will take equity into account to ensure that these underprivileged groups receive the same benefits as others. In order to ensure that the project has a beneficial influence on the refugee camps, we intend to involve parents and local authorities.