Mary Balikungeri

Mary Balikungeri ni we washinze kandi akaba n'umuyobozi wa Rwanda Women's Network (RWN) akaba n'impuguke mu bijyanye n'uburinganire n'iterambere, afite uburambe bw'imyaka isaga makumyabiri mu guteza imbere uburenganzira n'imibereho myiza y'abagore n'abakobwa mu Rwanda no hanze yarwo. Yitangiye ubuzima bwe mu guhashya ihohoterwa rishingiye ku gitsina, aha abacitse ku icumu ubushobozi bwo gukira, kongera kubaka icyubahiro cyabo, no kuba abayobozi bakomeye mu miryango yabo. Mary wavukiye mu Rwanda, yari afite imyaka itandatu gusa igihe urugomo rwakorerwaga Abatutsi rwatumaga umuryango we uhungira muri Uganda. Kuba yarakuriye mu buhungiro byatumye ahura n'akarengane n'ibibazo, ariko nanone byamuhesheje amahirwe, harimo kubona uburezi no kuzamura imico y'ubuyobozi. Ibi bintu yiboneye akiri muto byatumye yiyemeza ubuzima bwe bwose ku buringanire bw'ibitsina, kubaka amahoro, n'ubutabera mbonezamubano. Nyuma ya Jenoside yakorewe Abatutsi mu mwaka wa 1994, Mary yasubiye mu Rwanda yiyemeje gufasha abagore bari barababajwe cyane n'urupfu rw'abo bashakanye. Mu 1997, yashinze Rwanda Women's Network ifite intego yo kurema ahantu hatekanye, hashyigikiwe aho abagore bashobora gukira no kongera kubaka ubuzima bwabo. Icyatangiye nk'umushinga w'abaturage kuva icyo gihe cyahindutse ishyirahamwe ryemewe ku rwego rw'igihugu rihindura ubuzima bw'ibihumbi mu Rwanda hose. Imwe mu nshingano zikomeye za Mary ni iterambere rya Polyclinic of Hope, uburyo bwuzuye buhuza inkunga yo mu mutwe, ubuvuzi, guha ubushobozi ubukungu, no gufatanya n'abaturage barokotse ihohoterwa rishingiye ku gitsina n'iry'igitsina. Iri vuriro ry'icyizere ryagize uruhare mu gushyiraho ibigo by'abagore mu Rwanda hose, bitanga ahantu hatekanye ku barokotse kugira ngo bahabwe serivisi, bongere kwigirira icyizere, bongere kumenyekanisha ihohoterwa rishingiye ku gitsina, kandi bitabire impinduka zitegurwa n'abaturage. Mary ni umunyamategeko ukomeye wo guhindura politiki no gukorana n'inzego. Binyuze mu buyobozi bwe, Rwanda Women's Network yakomeje ubufatanye hagati y'abaturage, imiryango y'abaturage n'inzego z'ibanze mu guteza imbere uburyo burambye bwo gukumira no kurwanya ihohoterwa rishingiye ku gitsina. Yatanga umusanzu ku mbuga nkoranyambaga z'igihugu n'isi yose ziteza imbere intego y'iterambere rirambye ya 5 ku buringanire bw'ibitsina, yemeza ko amajwi y'abaturage atanga amakuru ku miyoborere no gufata ibyemezo. Uretse gutanga serivisi, Mary yemera cyane ko guha ubushobozi ubukungu ari ingenzi mu kurandura ihohoterwa. Ku buyobozi bwe, RWN ishyira hamwe ubumenyi bw'imari, iterambere ry'ubucuruzi, n'amahugurwa y'ubuyobozi muri gahunda zayo kugira ngo abagore babone ubuhanga n'icyizere gikenewe kugira ngo bagere ku bwigenge no kwihangana. Nk'uko akunze kubigaragariza, kugira ubukungu buhamye bituma abagore bashobora kwirwanaho, gutunga imiryango yabo, no kugira uruhare rukomeye mu buyobozi bw'abaturage. Uruhare rwa Mary rugera mu karere no ku rwego mpuzamahanga. Kuri ubu ni Umuyobozi w'Umuryango w'Afurika w'Abagore (ANWS), ishami ry'Umuryango Mpuzamahanga w'Abagore, aho agira uruhare mu gushimangira ingamba z'isi zo kurangiza ihohoterwa rikorerwa abagore n'abakobwa. Yabaye kandi intumwa y'Afurika mu Nteko ya UNAIDS kandi yitabira cyane imbuga nkoranyambaga zo mu karere no ku isi zirimo Profemmes Twese Hamwe, FEMNET, EASSI, n'Umuryango Mpuzamahanga w'Abagore Bubaka Amahoro. Abinyujije muri ibyo bikorwa, akomeje kuzamura ibintu byo mu karere akajya ku rwego rw'isi kandi akomeza ibikorwa rusange byo guharanira uburenganzira bw'abagore. Mu rwego rwo gushimira ubuyobozi bwe budasanzwe n'ubwitange mu guhindura imibereho, Mary Balikungeri yahawe igihembo cyitiriwe Umwamikazi Elizabeth II cyitwa Point of Light Award ku bw'umurimo we ushishikaje wo gushyigikira abarokotse ihohoterwa rishingiye ku gitsina. Nubwo yageze kuri byinshi, Mary aracyashishikajwe cyane no gutoza abagore b'abayobozi b'ibihe bizaza. Ashishikarizwa no kubona abagore bakiri bato bahawe ububasha binyuze muri gahunda za RWN bahabwa imyanya y'ubuyobozi mu gihugu no ku rwego mpuzamahanga. Akomeza gushishikariza abagore bakiri bato gukomeza kwigirira icyizere, kwiyemeza, no kwiyemeza kuvanaho ubushobozi bwabo bwo kuyobora impinduka nziza mu muryango.

Mu buyobozi bwe, RWN yashyizeho Ahantu 24 hatekanye ku Bagore mu turere 12, igategura gahunda zinoze zita ku ihohoterwa rishingiye ku gitsina, guteza imbere ubushobozi bw’ubukungu, n’ubuyobozi bw’abagore, kandi ikaba ijwi ryubahwa mu biganiro by’igihugu ku bijyanye n’amategeko n’imigenzo y’igitsina.