Category: Diakonia and Development Department

The Youth Forum for Students with Disabilities, jointly organized by the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR) and the National Union of Disability Organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR), is currently taking place at CPAJ Center from August 19–22, 2025.

During the opening sessions, various leaders encouraged the students to build self-confidence, work harder in their studies, and set clear goals for their personal development.

Similar forums are being held across all provinces of the country, bringing together a total of 198 participants. Most of the attendees are senior secondary school students in their final two years (S5 & S6), along with university students. In Kigali, the event at CPAJ was officially launched by Dr. Betty Mukarwego, Chairperson of NUDOR, together with the Vice President of EPR.

In his remarks, the EPR Vice President thanked NUDOR’s leadership for its collaboration with the Church through the CBID Tujyanemo (Community-Based Inclusive Development) program. He underlined the Church’s ongoing role in supporting persons with disabilities and highlighted the challenges they continue to face. He reminded participants that the forum provides a valuable opportunity to jointly seek shared solutions and reaffirmed that people with disabilities have an equal place in the Church, in society, and in the nation, deserving of recognition as God’s children and full citizens.

Dr. Mukarwego chairperson of NUDOR, emphasized the opportunities now available thanks to both government policies and Church initiatives promoting inclusive education. She recalled that, in the past, people with disabilities were often excluded and undervalued. She urged the students to make the most of their studies and the opportunities they have today, describing them as a true blessing. She encouraged them to embrace all the guidance provided throughout the forum and wished them a fruitful training experience.

The forum was officially launched and opened by the Vice President of EPR.

This initiative was warmly welcomed by the beneficiaries, who expressed their gratitude. They noted that children with disabilities often remained confined to one place, but with these wheelchairs, they can now socialize with other children. Furthermore, the wheelchairs will significantly reduce the burden on their caregivers, who previously had to carry them on their backs, and will also make it easier for the children to attend school.

The event took place in the Kigali Sector, and those who were unable to reach the venue were assisted at their homes. The message from the Church was to remind them that God loves and cares for them.

This initiative follows a similar one that took place at the end of 2024, where 10 families were given small livestock. As a result, the residents of this sector continue to express heartfelt gratitude to the Church for its ongoing acts of kindness and support.