Please introduce yourself.

My name is Esperance Mukeshimana. I’m a GHI Field Educator at Bumbogo Health Clinic, and I started working for GHI in 2013.

What does your day-to-day work look like?

Since COVID-19, a majority of my work has been to help the health clinic nurses screen children for nutrition problems and take the measurements of pregnant mothers. I spend most of my time supporting those speedy services, as well as helping to prevent COVID-19 at the clinics.

Why do you believe it’s important to empower women and teach nutrition lessons to women?

First, I want to acknowledge Rwanda’s efforts to put women at the forefront and provide space for their development and wellbeing. Historically, women were less valued in society, but today we speak for ourselves and play an important role in our families.

Esperance helps at a seed and seedling distribution at Bumbogo Health Clinic.

Most of GHI’s lessons are aimed at increasing families’ health to build a health society. We teach women to visit health clinics while pregnant, and about other nutrition and health topics that prevent and reduce maternal mortality or babies born with poor health. All the health knowledge that we teach is meant to empower and inform women and secure their value in society.

What lesson do you most enjoy teaching to women, and why?

I like teaching nutrition lessons, but my favorite lessons are related to prenatal care visits and balanced meals. I like those lessons because they capture the interest of the mothers, too, and directly improve their health and that of their children’s. They learn to visit a health clinic ther required four times, whereas before women would stay home until giving birth. They also start to eat healthy foods with nutritional value, rather than only filling their stomachs.

What’s something your coworkers might not know about you?

I’m a happy soul, and I laugh a lot!

Do you have any words of encouragement to share with your coworkers?

Two things: first, I want to tell them to love what they do. Second, love the mothers in our programs, because this makes the work they are putting in productive, and they’ll feel encouraged!

Today’s activity: seed and seedling distribution, made possible by the Oppenheimer Foundation & Mainsprings.

Uratangira utwibwiraamazina yawe, icyo ukora muri GHI ndetse n’imyaka umaze ukorera mu Murima w’Ubuzima?

Amazina yanjye ni Mukeshima Esperance, nkaba ndi Umufasha myumvire ku Kigo Nderabuzima cya Bumbogo, nkaba naratangiye akazi kanjye mu Murima w’Ubuzima muri 2013.

Ukwezi kwa gatatu kwahariwe kuzamura uburenganzira n’imibereho y’umugore, ushobora guhuza amasomo w’igisha y’imirire myiza ndetse n’andi n’uburyo afasha mu gushyigikira ndetse no kuzamura imibereho y’abagore?

Mbere na mbere turabanza gushimira Peresida wa Repubulika w’U Rwanda washyize ho gahunda y’ingenzi yo kwita ku mugore. Hari ibintu byinshi abagore batari basobanukiwe mu gice cyo kw’iyitaho ndetse no kwita k’ubana babo ariko uyu munsi wanone babasha kwita ku buzima bw’abana babo ndetse n’ubwabo. Ubu ipfu z’abagore batwite zaragabanutse kubera ko ababyeyi bisuzumisha kwa muganga ndetse bakabyarira ku kigo Nderabuzima. Ikindi n’uko ayo masomo abasha gutuma ababyeyi bajijuka bakarera abana babo mu buryo butuma bagira imirire myiza n’ubuzima burambye.

Wadusobanurira uko akazi kawe ka buri munsi kaba gateye?

Akazi kanjye mu minsi isanzwe kagenda neza. Muri ibi bihe bidasanzwe bya Koronavirusi-19 twagombye gushira mo imbaraga nyinshi mu kazi kacu, twabashije gufasha abaganga ku kigo nderabuzima dukingira abana ndetse tunapima ababyeyi batwitwe. Mbese akazi kenshi kabaye ako gufasha abaganga ku kigo nderabuzima

Nonese ni ayahe masomo ukunda kwigisha?

Njyewe nkunda kwigisha amasomo y’ubuzima: isomo ryo gusuzumisha inda no kwigisha indyo yuzuye. Impamvu bikunda n’uko nyuma yo kuryigisha ababyeyi bitabira gahunda zo gusuzumisha inda bikazatuma babyara abana bafite ibiro bikwiriye. Noneho isomo y’indyo yuzuye nuko bituma ababyeyi basonukirwa akamaro k’ibyo turya byose kandi aho kurya ngo bahage barya kugira ngo bagire ubuzima bwiza.

Tubwire ikintu wumva wiyizi ho abandi bakozi batakuziho?

Muri kamere yanjye mbaho nishimye!

Ni ikihe wabwira bagenzi bawe mukorana ubatera imbaraga?

Icyo nabwira abakozi bagenzi banjye ni ugukunda umurimo ndetse bakabasha no gukunda abagenerwa bikorwa kuko bituma bakora akazi neza kandi nabo bikabatera imbaraga mu kazi n’umwete wo gukomeza inshangano zabo.

Staff Spotlight: Esperance Mukeshimana