PAMOJA RWANDA
Reflect circles were launched in Rwanda in 1999 following a training of trainers and of facilitators. ActionAid Rwanda chose to start by strengthening four existing adult literacy circles, which were using the Functional Adult Literacy approach. At the start these circles had 118 participants but with the start of the Reflect approach, this number had increased by 100. There is also a Reflect circle in Kigali which consists of 20 participants from a women’s group. These participants are members of a development association dealing in agriculture and pottery.
In 2000 ActionAid Rwanda organised a 3-day refresher course to criticize, appreciate and correct what has been done, introduce new PRA tools, and discuss gender, development and issues related to the promotion of peace. Another training of facilitators is being organised to facilitate selection of new facilitators for additional circles.
CAURWA, a Rwandan organisation for the rehabilitation of the Batwa peoples, has shown a lot of interest in Reflect. Their representatives have been invited to several francophone events and trainings and have very much wanted to attend but on each occasion lack of funds has prevented this. It is hoped that partnership with ActionAid Reflect programme will enhance the potential for CAURWA's implementation of Reflect.
Regional integration: In early 2001, a visit was made from the Reflect Regional Coordination Unit to support Rwandan staff in a small training in PRA basics, technical support for the start up and scale up of Reflect as well as a mini evaluation of their Reflect programme. Other issues discussed were the relationship of ActionAid and Aide et Action, after a Reflect programme was abandoned following Aide et Action's pull out.
The coordinator for francophone West Africa co-facilitated a training workshop for government and NGOs, with Sylvia from RCU Uganda and Fidele from Burundi. This proved a particularly valuable experience, both in exchange of training methodologies and in seeing how participants adapted Reflect to the sensitive issues of reconciliation in Rwanda.
