A Friend Indeed

ISSUE:
Ten women compose A Friend Indeed, which works in the Ruhango sector of Byimana. They seek to combat violence against unwed single mothers and their children. Fatherless children are believed to be abnormal, and the mothers are targets because they are not married. The women even face discrimination and abuse from their own parents and siblings who beat them, reject them, and deny them and their child shelter and support. Members of society view single mothers as a burden and resource drain: a woman with an infant cannot easily find work and often turns to prostitution; prostitution contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS; if the woman cannot find work, she may beg or steal; and when the child is older, he or she may get into trouble on the street while left unsupervised as the mother works.

SOLUTION:
A Friend Indeed began their project several months ago and turned to Global Grassroots to learn the skills necessary to run a social venture. They formed small neighborhood associations for a total of 80 pregnant mothers and 120 illegitimate children to help the women find sources of income. After the Global Grassroots training, they modified their solution to focus on changing the conservative mindset that leads community members to ostracize single mothers. They now plan to:

• Train single mothers and community leaders about the rights of a single mother
• Train families of single mothers in general human rights to encourage them to accept their daughters/sisters
• Run a mentorship program for rebellious and delinquent youth to teach them respect and build character through athletics and other activities
• Host educational theater performances
• Educate about reproductive health
• Start 'Mutual Funds' of pooled money that is loaned for a capital venture every month

IMPACT:
A Friend Indeed plans to decrease the general stigmatization against single mothers and their children and to curb the violence they face from their families. They will help single mothers find sources of income and avoid spreading HIV/AIDS through prostitution. They will also prevent illegitimate children from falling into crime and street life and ensure they stay in school.