Strategic plan of action for orphans and other vulnerable children 2007-2011: Republic of Rwanda

Strategic plan of action for orphans and other vulnerable children 2007-2011: Republic of Rwanda

The Government of Rwanda is committed to ensuring that the fundamental rights of all children are realised. However, in Rwanda we have 1.26 million orphans and countless vulnerable children whose rights have been violated as a result of the combined effects, especially the consequences of the genocide; the chronic poverty experienced by some households; and the threat of HIV/AIDS.

One of the guiding principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Rwanda National Policy on Orphans and other Vulnerable Children, 2003, is the principle of participation of the child in the actions and decisions that concern him or her. The two National Children’s Forums organised in April 2004 and in January 2006 respectively have provided an opportunity for children’s voices to be heard about issues affecting them and for them to make some key recommendations which have been used to inform the National Plan of Action for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children.