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By Annonciata Byukusenge, Kayonza
Families that had long been living in conflict, mainly due to disputes over property arising from informal or unregistered unions, say the KIIWP project has helped them understand that living together without legal marriage is one of the causes of family conflicts. They learned this through the project’s educational sessions known as GALS (Gender Action Learning System).
They shared these testimonies during a civil marriage ceremony, which also marked the completion of their GALS training.
Jeanne Mukamugema and Gilbert Habimana, residents (couple) of Gitega Cell in Ruramira Sector, shared their story. They revealed that during the 10 years they lived together, constant conflicts severely affected both them and their children.
“I left my husband five times because he would take control of all our property and sell what we harvested to buy alcoholic drinks. At first, I thought he was doing it because of mental health issues, but I later realized it was because of our ongoing conflicts,” said Mukamugema.
She added that their children also suffered because of the situation.
“Our firstborn is now in the first year of secondary school (S1), but she should have been in Senior Six (S6) by now. She dropped out of school for some time because of the constant fights and lack of care in our home,” she explained.
All those who shared their experiences expressed regret over the years lost to conflict, saying it kept them from progressing and led to financial instability due to mismanagement and waste of their resources.
This family, along with nearly 500 others, participated in GALS training. On October 29, 2025, they completed their courses, and 63 couples formalized their marriages in civil ceremonies, a tangible outcome of the GALS program.
Gisa Shakila, a staff member with RAB-SPIU leading the KIIWP project in Kayonza, said that the program has brought significant positive change.
“We started with families experiencing serious conflict, but now others are requesting the training. It’s not only about solving disputes; they also learn how to manage household finances, create income-generating projects, save money, and work with financial institutions.”
Some photos of a Civil Marriage ceremony
Kayonza District Mayor Nyemazi Jean Bosco emphasized that GALS should expand further: “Currently, GALS is active in nine sectors, but we want it to reach all sectors because of its great impact. Today, 500 people completed the training, and 65 couples have legally formalized their marriages. We launched publicly a campaign that has the theme of “Iwanjye aheza haruta ahandi ni mu muryango.”
The KIIWP project began GALS activities in 2023 with a target to train 40,000 people within five years. In only two years, more than 16,000 have already completed the program.
Photo credit: ASPROD.
