Kigali, 10th September 2014 – “We need to work together to promote child rights and protection in Rwanda so that all children can have the right to be safe and to receive loving care and support. Children also have a right to receive the services they need to enable them to succeed in life”, said Ms Odda Gasinzigwa, Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion while officiating at NCC annual advisory council meeting.

“We will continue to work ensure that children in Rwanda get the best start in life through a holistic approach that integrates development stimulation, nutrition, health and child protection. Parents have the primary responsibility for raising their children, and ensuring that these rights are upheld. But this to happen, we need to build capacity and strength in our families and communities, across the nation," she adds.

Whereas the chairman of NCC Board of Commissioners, Damien Ngabonziza explained that the vast majority of parents supported by the community and the broad range of government supports and services available to all families have the capacity to raise happy and healthy children. “Some families need more help, and empowering of families with better positive parenting skills is required. The investment by governments and the non-government sector into family support and child protection services is significant, yet our separate efforts still fail many children. We need a unified approach that recognises that the protection of children is not simply a matter for the statutory child protection systems,” he added.

This one day meeting was to review the progress on the implementation of strategy for national child care reform where most of the remarks reflected the messages of strong partnership and collaboration and the need to protect children from children from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect at all times.

The strategy for national child care reform is an emerging priority in Rwanda. The strategy provides a framework for an integrated approach which started with Tubarerere mu Muryango (TMM) Program (Let us raise children in families program) as an entry point for promoting and implementing the reform through which the government is determined to reform the childcare and protection system by reducing reliance on institutional care through promoting family based and alternative care.

The Children forum chairman at national level, Alex Murenzi for children to avoid redundancy during school holidays they must be engaged, inspired and challenged for them to develop aspirations and plan proactively for their future. “Hope and positive thinking could motivate children to learn, and develop dreams of who they want to be in future,” he said.

The NCC advisory council is established by the law and members are comprised of permanent secretaries of different ministries, representatives of children national forums, representatives of private sector federation and executive secretaries of government institutions.