Haguruka is the leading organisation in Rwanda on protection and promotion of women and children’s rights. The organisation coordinates a network of 416 paralegals who volunteer their time to support victims of gender-based violence and land conflict in collaboration with Haguruka’s regional managers across the country.
In 2019, thanks to the financial support of the M Foundation, Haguruka has been implementing a new initiative aimed at supporting teenage mothers reintegrating into society.
In Rwanda teenage pregnancy is reported to be one of the main barriers to girls’ education. Through the setup of mobile clinics, Huguruka aims to raise awareness about girls’ rights, while providing legal services free of charge to the most vulnerable. Haguruka paralegals can support young mothers with a wide range of matters, including children’s registration in the national system, legal representation in the court for victims of sexual violence and abuse, and collection of evidence to build up strong cases in court.
Thanks to Haguruka’s work, young girls in Rwanda not only will be better equipped to defend their civil rights, but they will also be given more opportunities to reintegrate into society.