The Gender Action Learning System (GALS), implemented under the KIIWP Phase II Project, continues to prove its powerful role in transforming families and promoting gender equality across Rwanda. Through participatory training and dialogue, this initiative empowers men and women to plan together, share responsibilities, and build peaceful homes.
The program involves both men and women in local communities, including families like that of Nganji Syriaque and Iradukunda Chantal, residents of Bugambira Cell, Ruramira Sector, who have experienced deep transformation through GALS.
GALS provides practical tools such as the Vision Journey, Gender Balance Tree, and Diamond Dream to help families make joint decisions, promote equality, and achieve financial stability.
Since 2023, the initiative has been running in Ruramira Sector, Kirehe District, bringing hope and harmony to many households. The impact will be celebrated on October 29, 2025, during a special graduation ceremony for over 250 trainees, alongside the civil marriage of 60 couples who reconciled through the program.
The program aims to challenge traditional gender norms, reduce family conflicts, and promote shared prosperity by helping men and women understand that equality is not competition but collaboration.
Before joining GALS, Nganji Syriaque and his wife Iradukunda Chantal lived in conflict and financial hardship. Syriaque admits that he once viewed gender equality as a threat to men.
“Before GALS, I thought helping with housework would make me less of a man,” he said. “But now I understand that caring for your family makes you a responsible father. GALS opened my eyes and changed my mindset completely.”
After participating in GALS training, the couple began working together on family projects. In 2023, they saved enough money to enroll in a driving course and later purchased a motorcycle that now supports their household income. Chantal also started a small business, and together they plan to expand by buying more motorcycles and opening a family enterprise.
Chantal recalls how their home has changed:“We lived in poverty and constant conflict. My husband drank heavily and never helped with family work. But after GALS, everything changed. He understood the value of partnership. Now we make decisions together, and our home is peaceful.”
Their story mirrors that of many families in Ruramira Sector, where GALS has inspired unity, mutual respect, and shared progress. Once-divided homes are now places of peace, love, and cooperation.
As the Ruramira community gathers to celebrate the graduations and marriages, the event will symbolize not only individual success but also the collective transformation of a community embracing gender equality and sustainable development.
Through stories like that of Syriaque and Chantal, GALS reminds everyone that lasting change begins at home with dialogue, respect, and a shared vision for a brighter future.
