Staff Spotlight Special: GHI Staff Resiliency during COVID-19

A lot has changed with COVID, but we’re still on the job. See how our dedicated staff are channeling their creativity, adapting to COVID, and staying motivated while doing what they do best.  

Christine and Betty have a little fun in our outdoor kitchen before lunch!

How has your work changed in the last few months? What does your day look like now?

I had to look for areas to do work, and I established proactive solutions. For example, I got the contacts of the mamas we work with to talk to them over the phone. I also collaborated with  community health coordinators in our village to identify mothers with nutrition problems, so that I could follow up and provide help. I continued to go to health clinics to meet the women we support and help with their questions or needs. 

Why do you think it’s important to continue providing families with nutrition and health trainings during the pandemic?

Most of the women who come learn new information they did not know before. Recently, 90% of the women we trained had not been enrolled in our programs before. We’ve managed to reach more people and give important lessons about hygiene, breastfeeding, and nutrition.

In short, our programs are essential and still needed during this COVID time. Though we are only with the women for a short time, they are willing to participate and ask a lot of questions.

What’s been challenging about working during COVID? How have you been able to overcome that challenge? 

The challenge posed by COVID was the rapidness of the implementation of our response plan. This was overcome by GHI’s leaders, who were proactive in anticipating response strategies, the commitment from teams to give support to our partners, as well as our partners’ collaboration.

How have you stayed motivated & positive?

I’m motivated by the positive attitude at GHI, my sympathetic and compassionate colleagues, and the support we are able to offer to the families we serve. It’s encouraging to see how everyone is optimistic and ready to work.

What’s been challenging about working during COVID? How have you been able to overcome that challenge? 

Working from home was a challenge. Telling someone who is used to working in the field that he has to stay home seemed impossible! I had to convince the groups that I was leading that we could work at a distance, and that I would still be there if they had a problem. This wasn’t easy. 

To overcome these challenges, I had to be very committed and not give up. I would call more than once when I wanted to reach a person. If he didn’t pick up, I would search for a nearby person and ask him to search for the first, until I reached him on the phone.

Why are GHI’s lessons important during COVID?

Our trainings have given people the knowledge and skills to have good health. The people that we trained can eat food and vegetables from their own home gardens and continue preparing balanced meals during a time when fruits and vegetables are more expensive.

What would you like to tell your co-workers during this time?

Don’t give up! Our work is helping Rwanda, so we must keep achieving our goals. Everyone is doing his or her best. We need to put unity first, and work as a team. This is how we will be productive and important.

Why are GHI’s lessons important during COVID?

GHI’s lessons have helped a lot during COVID, because people still needed good but affordable nutrition! Our lessons on how to create a kitchen garden and buy nutritious meals on a budget have been implemented by the families we trained. These trainings also helped children who live in vulnerable communities to grow healthy and eliminate malnutrition in these families. Parents now know how to prepare a balanced meal and prevent malnutrition in their children.

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Amakuru adasanzwe yavuye ku bakozi b’Umurima w’Ubuzima: 

Abakozi b’Umurima w’Uubuzima mu kugaragaza uko bakomeje gukumira ingaruka za Korana Virusi

Hari byinshi byahindutse muri ibi bihe bitewe n’icyorezo cya Korana Virusi, ariko ntabwo bitubuza gukomeza akazi. Irebere nawe ukuntu abakozi bacu bashatse uburyo bushya muri ibi bihe by’icyorezo cya Korona. Bakomeje gushishikarira umurimo n’inshingano zabo, bakabikora neza.

Kubwimana Come Blaise

Umufashamyumvire ukorera ku kigo nderabuzima cya Kayanga, akaba amaze imyaka isaga 7 akorera Umurima w’Uubuzima

Ni gute akazi kawe kahindutse mu mezi make atambutse? None se umunsi wawe uba umeze ute muri iyi minsi?

Akazi ntabwo koroshye muri iki gihe, nagombye gushaka uburyo bunoze bwo gukomeza gukora akazi nsanzwe nkora. Byansabye gutekereza ingamba nshya z’ukuntu ngomba gukora akazi kanjye kaburi munsi. Urugero natanga ni uko, nafashe nimero z’ababyeyi nafashaga noneho aho ku bonana mu matsinda nkajya mbavugisha kuri telefone ngo numve amakuru y’abo. Ndetse nakomeje gukorana n’abajyanama bu buzima banyegereye kugira ngo bamfashe kumenya ababyeyi bafite ibibazo by’imirire, kugira ngo mbashe kubakurikirana ndetse mbahe n’ubufasha bagomba. Nakomeje kujya njya no kwivuriro kugira ngo mbashe kubona ababyeyi mfasha ndetse mu gihe bafite ibibazo mbashe kubimenya no kubashakira ibisubizo. 

Mbese ni iyihe mpamvu ubona twagombye gukomeza gufasha imiryango kubijyanye n’imirire ndetse n’ibirebana n’amahugurwa arebana n’ubuzima cyane cyane muri iki gihe cy’icyorezo cya Korona virusi?

Impamvu twakabikomeje ni uko ndetse no muri iki gihe hari ababyeyi batari bafite ubwo bumenyi kubijyanye n’imirire ndetse n’ukuntu bagira ubuzima bwiza muri rusange. Ubwo bumenyi tubaha butuma hari icyo bunguka.  Urebye nka 90% twafashije muri iki gihe ntabwo bari bazi izi nyingisho dutanga. Bose bari bashya muri gahunda y’Umurima w’Ubuzima. Muri iki gihe twabashije kubona abantu benshi ndetse tubafasha no kubona amasomo ajyanye n’isuku, konsa, kwirinda icyorezo cya Korona Virusi ndetse n’imirire myiza.

Muri make, gahunda zacu zifite akamaro muri iki gihe cya Korona. Nubwo tubasha kubonana n’ababyeyi igihe gito, ubona bafite ubushake bwo kwitabira amahugurwa kubera ko abafasha gusobanukirwa ibijyanye no kugira ubuzima bwiza ndetse n’ibibazo bindi baba bafite bigasubizwa

Katembo Faustin

Umuhuza bikorwa w’Umurima w’ubuzima(Program Manager), amaze imyaka 7 akora aka kazi

Ni ibiki byari bigoye urebye kubijyanye no gukora akazi muri ibi bihe bya Korona? Ni izihe ngamba wakoresheje ngo uhangane nabyo? 

Ingorane zabayeho cyane mu kazi ni ugushaka uburyo bw’ihuse bwo gushyira mu bikorwa uko tuzajya dukora bitandukanye nuko twari dusanzwe dukora tugahindura imigambi yose twari dufite. Gusa ibi byose byagezweho kuberako abayobozi b’Umurima w’ubuzima bashatse ibisubizo byihuse kandi bifatika kugira ngo dushakire hamwe ibisubizo byo gukomeza gukora nubwo byari bigoye. Ikindi kandi habayeho ubufatanye bukomeye ndetse no gushyigikirana hagati yacu n’abafatanya bikorwa bacu bituma gukora akazi bikomeza kubaho 

Ni gute washoboye gukomeza kugira umuhati mu kazi ndetse no gukomeza kureba ibintu mu buryo bwiza nubwo byari ibihe bigoye? 

Nakomeje KUGIRA UMUHATI MU KAZI kubera imyumvire myiza y’abakozi b’Umurima w’Uubuzima. Ntabwo bacitse intege kandi bakomeza kugira ibitekerezo byiza. ukuntu abakozi bacu bafite umutima w’umva abandi kandi nabo ubwabo bari bashishikariye kureba icyakorwa ngo imirimo yacu ikomeze. Ikindi kandi  impamvu nyamukuru ituma dukora uyu murimo yo gufasha imiryango dukorana nayo yanteye gukomera no kudatezuka.

Vedaste Uwumukiza

Ushinzwe isuzuma bikorwa (M&E Supervisor) mu Karere ka Musanze, akaba amaze imyaka 6 akorera Umurima w’ubuzima

Ni iki cyabaye imbogamizi kubijyanye n’akazi kawe muri iki gihe cya Korana virusi? Ni gute wabashije kuhangana nizo mbogamizi ukabona igisubizo?

Gukorera mu rugo ntabwo byari byoroshye, byari imbogamizi ikomeye mu kazi. Kubwira umuntu nkanjye wakoreraga kuri terrain ngo nkorere mu rugo byasaga nkibidashoboka. Byansabye imbaraga kumvisha itsinda nari nyoboboye ko tugomba gutangira gukora twitaruye abagenerwa bikorwa bacu, ndetse nka nabemeza ko nzajya mba mpari igihe bankenereye kandi batambona. Ibi byose, byansabye gukomera ndetse no gufata umwanzuro wo kutarambirwa ahubwo nkabona ko byose bishoboka. Iyo nahamagaraga incuro irenze imwe kugira ngo ngere ku muntu twabaga dufitanye gahunda, nagerageza gushaka umuntu waba uri hafi ye ngo amfashe tuvugane. Ntabwo narambirwaga mpaka mvuganye n’uwo muntu. 

Ese ubona amasomo dutanga mu Murima w’Ubuzima ari ingira kamaro muri ibi bihe bya Korona?

Amahugurwa dutanga yafashije abantu kugira ubumenyi bwa tuma bagira ubuzima bwiza. Abantu babonye aya mahugurwa y’Umurima w’Ubuzima babasha kurya imboga n’imbuto bavanye mu turima tw’igikoni bafite mu ngo zabo. Ndetse kandi babasha gutera indyo yuzuye irimo imboga ndetse n’imbuto no mubihe nk’ibi bitoroshye aho ibyo biribwa ku isoko bitakiboneka kuberako bihenze.

Ni iki wakwifuza kubwira abakozi bagenzi bawe muri iki gihe cya Korona?

Nabambwira nti” Nti bacike intege! Ibikorwa dukora birimo gufasha URwanda, rero niyo mpamvu tugomba gukomeza tugakora tukagera ku ngamba twiyemeje kugera ho. Reka buri wese ashyiremo imbaraga ze zose kandi akore umurimo we neza cyane. Tugomba kandi kutibagirwa gukorera hamwe, tugasenyera umugozi umwe. Ibyo nibyo bizatuma tugira umusaruro uhagije ndetse ufite n’akamaro.

Christine Mukamuhire

Umukozi ukora mu gikoni, amaze imyaka 7 akora ako kazi

Ubona akamaro ka masomo dutanga ari akahe cyane cyane muri ibi bihe bya korona virusi?

Amasomo y’Umurima w’Ubuzima utanga afite akamaro cyane muri ibi bihe bya Korona Virusi kubera ko abantu bakeneye ibiryo byiza gusa kandi bihendutse. Amasomo ajyanye no kugira akarima k’igikoni ndetse no gutegura indyo yuzuye bigendeye uko umuntu yifite ku mufuka cyangwa adakoresheje amafaranga menshi byafashije imiryango yigiye hano cyane. Aya mahugurwa kandi yafashije abana baba mu miryango itishoboye babasha gukomeza gukura neza ndetse imiryango yabo ibasha guhashya ikibazo cy’imirire mibi cyari kibugarije. Ababyeyi ubu ngubu bazi gutegura indyo y’uzuye ndetse nuburyo bwo kurinda abana babo kugira ikibazo cy’imirire mibi.