RUYCD is a National Umbrella Non-Governmental Organization for all gross roots Associations/Unions of youth and children with disabilities in Rwanda. RUYCD was formed in December 6th, 2011 and official registered in February 12nd, 2014 at Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) to operate projects for youth and Children with disabilities in Rwanda. RUYCD was established to address social, economic, culture and political problems relating to youth and children with disabilities in Rwanda. RUYCD is also committed to support the Rwandan Government, the UN agencies, and Local/International NGOs in implementing its activities concerning youth and children with disabilities and support other disadvantaged groups especially (Young Women & Girls, Orphans and Refugees) youth and children with disabilities in different areas of life in Rwanda.

Primary Objectives of RUYCD
1. Advocate for the equal representation of the youth and children with disabilities at all levels of decision -making regarding positive youth and child with disabilities development. A committee of youth and children with disabilities will be formed to achieve this aim.
2. Promote development of the abilities of the youth and children with disabilities, allowing them to contribute to the development of their local communities through social services.
3. To raise public awareness about the rights of all Youth and children include youth and children with disabilities to have access to transportation, health services, education and work opportunities, the physical environment, housing, cultural and social life, including sports and recreational facilities.
4. To provide a unified and integrated system through which the youth and children with disabilities can contribute and benefit from national plan.
5. To advocate the channels through which economic and social services may reach to the youth and children with disabilities in all areas of Rwanda.
6. To encourage the youth and children with disabilities to consolidate their role in national development in social, economic, culture and educational fields.
7. To promote the empowerment of the youth and child with disabilities through the development of peer support initiatives and services.
8. To strengthen, develop and implement public policies of PWDs through collaboration with all PDOs, Government and many others. Household Economic strengthening (HES) comprises a portfolio of interventions to reduce the economic vulnerability of families with disabilities and empower them to provide for the essential needs of their children they care for, rather than relying on external assistance. Livelihoods are wider than economic strengthening and include food security which is considered under the technical area of nutrition and food security.

1. Household Economic Strengthening: Project interventions that target youth and children with disabilities and family as the beneficiary and are led by projects or NGO?s that do not prioritize long-term sustainability and aim for sustainable impact on shorter-term outcomes (how families of children with disabilities get and spend money). Examples of these interventions include: savings, credit, income-generating activities (IGAs).

Household economic strengthening programs will consider family of children with disabilities? level of readiness and capacity to succeed when determining whether a particular economic strengthening activity is appropriate.

2. Social Protection: Systemic interventions targeting to youth and children with disabilities and their as beneficiary, led by RUYCD that prioritize sustainable interventions and aim for a sustainable impact on longer-term outcomes such as behavior change or human capital outcomes.

2. Early Childhood Development:
The early childhood intervention is the foremost priority in the early childhood development. RUYCD will carry out training and sensitization process targeting parents of the children with disabilities aged between 0-6 years, referral institutions and service providers for the children to access early services and improve early language development.

3. Child and youth-focused Programming:
Key Principles
The following principles shaped the development of the Child and Youth-Focused Programming:
? Aspiration and achievable - goals should strive for excellence in service (aspiration) but also be grounded in what we can influence and measure (achievable), bridging our overall mission with our daily work;
? Child- and youth-focused - goals should be client-centred;
? Cross-cutting - goals should not be expressed in terms of specific programs and should generally apply to the entire sector;
? Strengthen the value chain - goals should encompass and enhance all of our daily activities from policy development to frontline service delivery;
? Build on current transformations - goals should enhance continuing commitments; and
? Demonstrate progress - measurable progress on the goals can be accomplished in three to five years.

Strategic Goals
To improve outcomes and the service delivery experience, the following five RUYCD?s strategic goals were identified as key drivers for service improvements:
1. Every child and youth has a voice
2. Every child and youth receives personalized services
3. Everyone involved in service delivery contributes to achieving common outcomes
4. Every child and youth is resilient
5. Every young person graduates from secondary school


4. HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care:
This will be achieved through liaison with the Umbrella of Organization of Persons with Disabilities in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS and in Health Promotion (UPHLS) to provide facilitators for HIV/AIDS awareness seminars, provide information, education and awareness materials to be distributed for Rwandan communities. These will be integration of HIV/AIDS in all programmes that will be implemented to ensure that the youth and children with disabilities are provided with adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS.
RUYCD support working activities at National and International level
1. Advocacy and lobbying public and private sector equality in labour and employment sector for young people with disabilities.
2. Support and implement activities and legal services for young people and children with disabilities in general.
3. Support projects sustainable for unemployed young people with disabilities and their families in general.
4. Provide special quality services for youth and children with hearing impaired and visual blind at schools, work and at all levels of social inclusion.
5. Advocate for equal representative among youth and children with disabilities in decision making at national, regional and international levels and consulting government matters concerning people with disabilities especially youth and children with disabilities.
No - Mr. SHYAKA Emmanuel - President & National Chief Director
Ms. Kamuhabwa Mariam - Vice President
Mr. NYANGENZI Fred - Secretary of the Board and General Assembly
Ms. MUKANGOGA Louise Marie - Treasurer
Mr. MUREMA Jean Baptiste - Legal Advisory and Legislative
Ms. UWIMANA Clarisse - Commissioner of Young Women & Girls
Mr. NAHAYO Yvan - Commissioner of Children & Inclusion RUYCD_CONSTITUTION2013.pdf