A. Caring for HIV Positive People (CHIVPP)
In the month of April, Friends Women's Association (FWA) and its Ntaseka Clinic provided medical follow-up and home visits for our HIV positive people. The program continues to ensure that all patients receive consistent care, medication adherence support, and nutritional guidance to maintain their health and well-being.
Key Achievement
330 HIV+ patients under active care and treatment at Ntaseka Clinic, with ongoing medical follow-up and home visits to ensure medication adherence and well-being.
B. Maternity Ward Building
Ntaseka Clinic's Maternity Ward supplies baby delivery services and care needed for pregnant women, new mothers and newborn babies. In the month of April, one baby was born at Ntaseka clinic, bringing new hope and joy to families in the community.
Although the Clinic's maternity ward still needs some medical equipment, hospitalization services are functional. The maternity ward remains a vital resource for women in the Kamenge community and beyond.
C. Improving Women's Reproductive Health (IWRH)
FWA staff and FWA community health workers have continued to educate both men and women on the importance of family planning. On April 4, 2026, there was one educational session on sexual and reproductive health for young girls at Ntaseka clinic.
The session focused on empowering young women with knowledge about their reproductive health, family planning options, and the importance of making informed decisions about their bodies and futures.
Impact: 421 people received contraceptives from FWA's nurse in April, including 260 old cases and 161 new ones.
D. Rape Survivors' Support (RSS)
The Rape Survivors' Support (RSS) program of the Friends Women's Association currently has established 79 Self-Help Groups. In April, 2 SHGs made a sharing, demonstrating the growing financial discipline and community solidarity among members.
1. Self-Help Group Evaluation
| Indicator | Number of SHGs | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Total Money Saved | 2 | 15,600,000 BIF |
| Total Credit Granted | 2 | 17,800,000 BIF |
| Total Interest | 2 | 8,700,000 BIF |
| People Who Didn't Pay | 2 | 0 |
| Total Money Not Refunded | 2 | 0 |
2. SHG Classification
E. Street Business School (SBS)
During the month of April, SBS training sessions focused on strengthening participants' entrepreneurship skills through four key modules. These included money management, market research, business planning, and marketing and customer care.
Module 4: Money Management
Understanding the difference between business money and personal money, tracking income and expenses daily, saving regularly, and controlling spending. "Money well managed leads to a strong and sustainable business."
Module 5: Market Research
Identifying target customers, understanding customer needs and preferences, studying competitors and prices, and choosing products or services that are in demand. "A good business starts with knowing your market."
Module 6: Business Planning
Setting clear business goals, identifying needed resources, estimating costs and expected profits, and planning daily activities. "A clear plan increases the chances of business success."
Module 7: Marketing & Customer Care
Promoting products and services effectively, setting fair prices, treating customers with respect and honesty, and building trust. "A happy customer is the foundation of a growing business."
F. Trauma Healing Workshop
On April 20-22, there was a three-day trauma healing workshop in Maramvya for 20 GBV survivors. Facilitators were Grace Horanimana and Gisele Misago.
"I got married to a man, and at the beginning everything was going well. But over time, he changed. He started beating me over small mistakes. As days went by, the situation became worse. He would not even greet me when he came home, and our household was full of conflict. When I became pregnant, he showed no compassion. He continued to abuse me. One day, when I was six months pregnant, he beat me severely simply because I asked him about his behavior. I lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital."
"That incident deeply affected me. It was at that moment that I mourned my marriage and realized that I no longer had a husband. I returned home, but to me, he was like someone who had died. I bought everything I needed for childbirth by myself and hid it at a neighbor's house. Until the day I gave birth, I did not tell him anything, because I felt he did not deserve to be shared that good news."
"What marked me most during this workshop is that I now feel normal. Before, I felt ashamed, as if there was a voice telling me I had done wrong to leave my husband, that I should have endured everything like a 'true Burundian woman.' That feeling has disappeared. Today, I accept myself as I am."
- A GBV survivor and participant in the trauma healing workshop
G. Income Generating Activity
On April 7, 2026, there was a rice harvest in Maramvya. This is a project initiated by a group of GBV survivors after a three-day trauma healing workshop. This is their second harvest, demonstrating the sustainable economic empowerment that follows trauma healing and skills training.
This project exemplifies FWA's holistic approach: healing leads to empowerment, which leads to sustainable livelihoods and community development.
H. Women's Socio-Economic Empowerment Center
The FWA has continued the construction of the Women's Socio Economic Empowerment Center (WSEEC). The aim of this project is to avail training rooms and a temporary safe shelter for gender-based violence survivors at the FWA headquarters.
Funding Progress
IMEDICAL TEAM
I.1. Consultations
I.2. Laboratory
In the month of April, apart from HIV voluntary testing, there were a total of 314 tests.
| Test | Completed | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaria Test (G.E.) | 37 | 10 | 27 |
| Quick Malaria Test | 42 | 14 | 28 |
| Urine Test (ECBU) | 21 | 14 | 7 |
| Stool Test | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Pregnancy Test | 34 | 11 | 23 |
| Typhoid Fever | 88 | 32 | 56 |
| Diabetes | 21 | 5 | 16 |
| Syphilis (RPR VDRL) | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| Complete Blood Count | 27 | 12 | 15 |
| Hepatitis B | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Hepatitis C | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Viral Load | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 314 | 108 | 206 |
I.3. Family Planning
During April, 421 people received contraceptives from FWA's nurse, including 260 old cases and 161 new ones.
I.4. Prenatal Consultation (PNC)
In April, 47 women came for prenatal consultation (PNC), including 9 who came for PNC 1, 8 for PNC 2, 21 for PNC 3 and 9 for PNC 4. 62 pregnant women came for the ultrasound test.