Tinyuka! Ose!

RWAMREC (Rwanda Men’s Resource Center) successfully led the Tinyuka! (Ose!) project, a socio-economic reintegration initiative for teenage mothers in the Remera and Rwimbogo sectors of Gatsibo District, Eastern Province of Rwanda. The project aligned with RWAMREC’s mission to engage men in promoting gender equality, eradicating gender-based violence, fostering positive masculinity, and empowering women and girls.

The initiative adopted a holistic and transformative approach, strengthening teenage mothers’ social and economic integration while addressing broader community attitudes. Key pillars included:

• Capacity building on gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and entrepreneurship.

• Support for income-generating activities (IGAs) to enable young mothers to transition from informal to formal sectors.

• Formation of savings and credit groups (Ibimina) to build solidarity and financial resilience.

• Engagement of fathers and adolescent fathers through positive masculinity workshops to create a supportive environment.

• Community sensitization to challenge harmful gender norms and promote sustainable change.

Through Tinyuka! (Ose!), RWAMREC:

• Trained 60 teenage mothers aged 12–19, including young mothers living with disabilities, in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and business development.

• Provided start-up capital and business kits to support small businesses, primarily in fruit and vegetable sales.

• Facilitated psychosocial support and mental health services through partnerships with professional counselors.

• Trained 60 fathers of teenage mothers and 60 adolescent fathers on gender equality, violence prevention, and positive masculinity.

• Mobilized local leaders, families, and the wider community to foster acceptance, support, and opportunity for teenage mothers.

Despite national efforts, teenage pregnancy rates remained high, particularly in Gatsibo District, where teenage mothers faced health risks, social stigma, school dropout, family exclusion, and economic dependency. Tinyuka! (Ose!) addressed these challenges by empowering teenage mothers to rebuild their lives with dignity and independence.

RWAMREC ensured project sustainability by:

• Strengthening existing community structures and partnerships with local government, women’s organizations, and youth groups.

• Actively involving beneficiaries in project monitoring and evaluation.

• Promoting positive masculinities to shift social norms and guarantee long-term community transformation.

The project built on RWAMREC’s proven success in similar initiatives, such as the Huye District project, and delivered lasting change for beneficiaries and the community at large.

Project Achievements:

• At the end of the project, an exhibition by Serrah Galos, in partnership with RWAMREC, was held at the French Institute during the Month of Photography and on International Women’s Health Day (28th May). The exhibition advocated for the dignity of teenage mothers and highlighted the role of fathers—both adolescent and adult—in taking responsibility and becoming supportive partners.

• As a direct outcome of the event, the CERTA Foundation reached out to RWAMREC and offered support to enable some teenage mothers to return to school.

Tinyuka! (Ose!) — Dare to Rise! — successfully empowered teenage mothers and fathers, strengthened community support systems, and contributed to positive social change in Gatsibo District.