Capacity Building for the SUGIRA Network
The SUGIRA network was founded in 2016 under the umbrella of the Jumelage. It is a collective of 18 centers that all care for children with disabilities in Rwanda. In addition to the idea of cooperating and exchanging with a similar network in Rhineland-Palatinate, SUGIRA was founded to strengthen inclusion and service provision for people with disabilities in Rwanda. To support SUGIRA staff with more qualified knowledge, the Rhineland-Palatinate partnership launched a capacity building program from summer 2019. Various topics were covered in different trainings.
The first workshop dealt with inclusive structures within communities (Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID)). The session discussed the definition of disability and inclusion. Three experts from the College of Education of the University of Rwanda, Institute for Inclusive Education, conducted the second training on competency-based curricula in schools for children with disabilities (CBC – Competence Based Curriculum). The trainers presented the CBC, but also explained how learners with special needs can be identified, and gave an introduction to Rwandan sign language.
The third training dealt with national standards and indicators for centers for children and adults with disabilities in Rwanda. These sessions were led by two experts from the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD). The experts made clear that centers must follow official guidelines and should be certified by the NCPD as a first step.
In the fourth training, two experts from the National Early Childhood Development Program (NECDP) conducted training on “Inclusive Early Childhood Development” (ECD). The session presented the importance of integrated ECD promotion in Rwanda. An expert from MINEDUC (Ministry of Education) moderated a fifth training on requirements and standards for inclusive schools in the Rwandan education system.
The final phase of the training informed participants about organizational management, leadership and strategic planning. After all these trainings in 2019, the follow-up began this year in March 2020. All centers are visited to evaluate the impact of the new goals and content on these centers. The main goal of qualifying the SUGIRA network is the inclusive development of the centers and improving the lives of children with disabilities in these facilities. The entire training was organized and conducted with great commitment and success by the social department of the coordination office under the leadership of Jane Zizane.
