It is early in the morning, fresh air is present and birds are singing as a group of eight old men who decided on vasectomy as the way of birth control are sitting together discussing the way they should keep improving their welfare through the association they formed.
Turuhure Abagore Bacu literally translated as ‘Let us relieve our wives’, is the association formed by the men who made it at the vasectomy in Rulindo District in a bid to sensitize other men to join the drive so as to alleviate their wives challenges which sometimes hit women in case they use diverse contraceptive methods.
The association has been created for about a decade ago as expressed by Anastase Kanyamahanga, its chairman, “This association formed in 2017, we were only three members who came out with the idea, but after a range of mobilization we won a number of participants and we have forty five active members so far.” He says,
Members of Turuhure Abagore Bacu articulate that the association helped them getting relevant information about the involvement of a man in family planning process, consequently they committed themselves to relieve their wives who sometimes met various allergies associated with methods they chose.
“Whenever my wife took tablets for family planning she immediately had to go in continuous period, due to this I said ‘I have to help my wife’, I negotiated with her and she signed for me before I went for the vasectomy” says Eduard Habumugisha, 73, from Kinihira Sector.
Through the association, various messages on vasectomy are spread by community health workers and a lot of men decided to change their mind consequently as described by some of its member who already opted the vasectomy.
“The association helped me changing the mind first; I had given birth to seven children and had a will to keep producing a lot of children, so the association swept away that poor belief and I remained with that number of children, if kept giving births I would have more than ten children for the moment,” says Etienne Sebazungungu, 73, regretting “If I knew the vasectomy I wouldn’t give birth to a lot children.”
Turuhure Abagore Bacu members disseminate messages and testimonies about the vasectomy via monthly community works(Umuganda), different meetings led by local official and Umugoroba w’Ababyeyi among other channels.
Clement Ngarambe, the director of Kinihira Heath Centre which covers ….of population from Kinihira Sector and its surroundings promises that men’s involvement in family planning is on the right move thanks to ‘the great work that Turuhure Abagore Bacu association does’.
However, Ngarambe Calls on entire men to showcase their involvement in fimily planning opting vasectomy as it is consequence free, “It is a reliable method which has been searches on and approved by experts in health, moreover our government should not bring an associative which harms its population’s health.”
Self-reliance
Members of the association substantiate that stopping giving both to uncontrolled children led them to sustainable development together with their families and they are confident that the future will be so vivid.
“I can now afford shelters to my children; I am able to pay for them the community health based Insurance(Mutelle de Santé), I pay their school without any quagmire,” cites Bernard Majoro, Marembo, 45, father to five children.
Each member of the Turuhure Abagore Bacu contributes a total amount of Rwf1000 at the end of every month and with that funds they managed to buy for each other livestock including goats and sheep and “the objective is to reach the level of having cows by end of next year[2018]” as said by Anastase Kanyamahanga the association’s chairman.
However, the association’s members say they need to spread testimonies on vasectomy as part of their mission so as to help other men who are still not aware about the method but citing the lack of means to do so.
“All what we wish is that we may be helped to tour different part of our country sensitizing men to join vasectomy drive as it is very important to every one’s future. At the beginning we had a sponsor who used to help us touring but his mandate has expired and we remained alone.” as said by Mr. Kanyamahanga.
…., the director of heath in Rulindo District, says the district counts a total of 292 men who have decided on vasectomy so far, substantiating that the record has been attained thanks to the collaborative efforts by heath sectors, grassroots leaders and individuals among other.
“There was several campaigns held by not only heath sectors but also local government official as well as opinion leaders, thus it led to disseminate vasectomy message widely in the district,” says.., “We also practiced an advanced strategy whereby we reached out to anyone who preferred the vasectomy rather than he himself travel miles of distance coming to look for the service” He adds.
Reacting to the wish of Turuhure Abagore Bacu members, …promises that the district got another partner who is to tackle the association challenges,
“We are lucky as the SFH Rwanda recently pronounced itself and showed an interest to keep supporting activities of Turuhure Abagore bacu, so we are about to resume the strategy of using the association members giving testimony via tours in different parts of the district and country wide.”
