DiDe Rwanda Organisation | DIGNITY IN DETENTION

MISSION

2026-11-03T14:07:33Z

Our mission is to heal and Empower Individuals and Organisations in order to promote social integration, social inclusion, social cohesion, social participation towards sustainable Development.

9.OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION

2026-11-03T14:04:17Z

To promote dignity and human rights in particular defending detainees.

To develop the culture of resilience for the safe family environment of detainees and the community to a better reintegration.
To develop a follow up program of ex-prisoners after release
To accompany and facilitate the social and professional reintegration of the laureates of the youth rehabilitation centers
To promote community approach interventions of mental health issues targeting vulnerables groups.
To contribute to the prevention and fight against domestic violence's, family based conflicts and human trafficking in the rwandan society.
To promote gender inclusion in Rwandan Society.

Concluding the 10th session of training on promoting Unity and Resilience.

CEDRICK — 2026-10-28T15:27:16Z

Today, our Executive Director of DiDe Rwanda, with the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, @DrDamascene, concluded the 10th session of training on promoting Unity and resilience, designed for 533 convicted perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi who are expected to complete their sentences by 31 December 2026.

The training aims to prepare these inmates for reintegration into Rwandan society and peaceful coexistence with others, enabling them to become patriotic Rwandans who uphold Rwandan unity and resilience, while helping prevent crime and recidivism.

The key topics covered include:

👉 Understanding their role in preventing discrimination, divisionism, and the genocide ideology.

👉 Understanding the history of our country.

👉 Understanding the consequences of the Genocide against the Tutsi for themselves, their families, survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi, and the country as a whole.

👉 Understanding their role in the development of their families and the country.

The training is organized by MINUBUMWE in collaboration with the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) @RCS_Rwanda, with contributions from various civil society organizations, including @DiDe_Rwanda, @pfrwanda, @Interpeace_Org, @Ibuka_Rwanda, @CBS__Rwanda, and others.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2023

2026-10-28T14:13:37Z

International Women's Day was approved by the United Nations (UN) in 1972. We celebrate this day in order to celebrate the achievements of women in the social, economic, cultural and political spheres, but we also call on everyone to implement activities that promote the empowerment of women.

This year, Rwanda, as well as other member countries of the United Nations (UN), will celebrate International Women's Day, taking into consideration the role of women in promoting innovation and education based on technology. This year 2023 the world will celebrate International Women's Day with the theme: â€œDigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality

This topic is closely related to the main topics that will be discussed at the Commission on the Status of Women conference on the topic "Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls

The government of Rwanda has taken various measures aimed at developing the economy based on technology through various programs and policies. This can also be achieved through the development of education, business, agriculture, financial services based on technology and access to timely information.
Imprisoned women, like other women in Rwanda, are no longer excluded from the process of development, either to be productive while they are in correction facilities and to prepare them to return to family life and join other citizens in the struggle for development.
Imprisoned women, like other women in Rwanda, are no longer excluded from the process of development, either to be productive while they are in correction facilities and to prepare them to return to family life and join other citizens in the struggle for development.

The ways in which prisoners are prepared to get back to the community has huge implications for a successful reintegration and hence a safer community. Rehabilitation and reintegration programmes are important forms of preparation for release to assist successful reintegration of prisoners to their families and communities.
Interpeace in close collaboration with DIDE, Prison Fellowship Rwanda and Haguruka are implementing a programme titled â€œReinforcing social cohesion and reintegration through societal trauma healing in Rwanda. This program is focused on strengthening psycho-social and economic resilience for sustainable peace among communities and support rehabilitation and reintegration of Prisoners.
It is against this background that INTERPEACE and DIDE in partnership with RCS are organising the celebration of International womenâ€™s Day in line of awareness sensitization activities on peaceful cohabitation and social cohesion to strengthen women detainees skills for supporting effective prisoners â€˜rehabilitation and reintegration process, thus bootering the social cohesion and development process of prisoners.

Objectives of the day

1.To raise awareness on national gender equality and women empowerment endeavours to feed into the process of the female inmate rehabilitation and re-integration especially in addressing societal trauma, peaceful cohabitation, and social cohesion.
2.Build and advocate for more women involvement in the acquisition of skills to innovate and creatively use technology to address psychosocial needs.
3.To enhance and promote more involvement of women in technology spaces particularly through TVET that can enable their reintegration process and join the community with those important skills
4.Advocacy aimed at changing the perception of women in general and women detainees in particular and girls in programs and activities related to technology and in the events that involve women and girls.

Participants

The International womenâ€™s day celebrated by inmates and Correction facility officials and staff. The invited guests will be Government Officials, RCS Senior Management, District officials, Opinion Leaders, Rwanda criminal justice system, security officials, RCS Partners and stakeholders.

PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOUR

International day of women in Rwanda prisons was celebrated in Ngoma Correction Facility.The event was graced by a representative of the RCS Commissioner General who was the guest of honour, Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs from Ngoma District, other institutions that were represented included Rwanda Defense Force, Rwanda National Police, Rwanda Investigation Board,
National Intelligence and Security Services, the Catholic Church and the District hospital. As Rwanda Correctional Service partners, Dignity In Detention and Interpeace were also present and delivered statements.

Some points to appreciate in sessions:
*Entertainments of inmates (traditional and modern dance, modeling, poem, ...)
*Exhibition of different crops from production such as clothes, rice, bananas, corn, beans, art objects .....

*Offering milk and biscuits to babies living with their mothers in Ngoma Correction facility
Handing over of the sewing machines designed to support TVETs to the leadership of Ngoma correction facility as part of the" Reinforcing community capacity for social cohesion and reconciliation through Trauma Healing" Programme.

This International Women day went well, it was well planned and the activities of the day were well done.
The representative of RCS thanked the participants today and thanked the representatives of partners such as INTERPEACE, DIDE.
He went on to explain the good deeds achieved by women in various prisons in Rwanda, focusing on Ngoma prison, saying that as you have seen, women here are punished for the crimes they have committed but they have different careers that will help them after they finish their sentence, they learn about technology and they will use it to improve their files during the trial, to know the information of their families and to transfer money to where they are He concluded by appreciating the cooperation of RCS, the local authorities and partners where everyone fulfills their responsibilities in relation to the prison RCS is appreciated.

DUFATANYE KUBAKA UBUTABERA (D.K.U) ACTIVITY FUNDED BY USAID

CEDRICK — 2026-10-28T07:37:32Z

The official inauguration of the USAID/DKU activity where the Ambassador of the US embassy in charge of foreign affairs was present and all partners in the project put a point on the start up of the program, here Haguruka presented 2 activities one of the Abunzi from kigali sector conducted mediation session and a mobile legal aid clinic where lawyers offered legal aid services to residents of Nyabugogo cells in Kigali.

The project main objectives:
1. Improving citizens knowledge of rights and expanding access to quality legal services.
2. Supporting justice sector actors for effective use of IECMS.
3. Strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms.
4. Identifying innovations to sustain provision of legal services while recovering from COVID-19.

The Executive Director of DIDE RWANDA alongside with LAF legal Aid Attorney introduced the DKU project into the Prisons, Gicumbi prison and Nyagatare Prison respectively.
Here Inmates will receive mental health support and receive help in accessing the justice.
they meet with the DP of Gicumbi prison and the DDP of Nyagatare prison
here they present the new project and how it will be implemented .
Beginning will be the screening of the peer educators who will help others in the groups and will follow up their recovery
Here Dide will provide the following:

Psychosocial therapy in Prisons

Develop manual on prisoner mental health

Trained Prisoners on psychosocial therapy/ mental health.

Facilitate therapeutic group sessions

Monitor activities: clinical supervision, individual counseling, meeting with focal points and other prison official as needed.

First 80 peer educators will be trained and acquire the knowledge and ability to facilitate therapeutic groups, 480 volunteers inmates with psychological problems are assisted in therapeutics groups
Develop the mental health manual for prisoners is in the process.

Board Members Visit Gicumbi Tea Zones to See the Results of the Our Tea, Our Voice Programme

CEDRICK — 2026-10-26T12:34:37Z

Board Members Visit Gicumbi Tea Zone to See the Results of the Our Tea, Our Voice Programme .

Gicumbi, 23 October 2026. Members of the DIDE Rwanda Board visited Mulindi Tea Factory and selected programme sites in Gicumbi District to see first-hand what the Our Tea, Our Voice (OTOV) programme has achieved. The visit was a field visit to review and document the programme's achievements.

About the programme .

OTOV is a three-year programme implemented by Dignity in Detention Rwanda (DIDE Rwanda) in partnership with Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) and FERWACOTHE. It aims to empower women and other marginalised groups in the tea sector. It does this by promoting transformative leadership, gender equality, women's rights, meaningful participation and inclusive decision-making.

The programme seeks lasting change in attitudes, behaviours and power relations at individual, household, community and institutional levels. It also strengthens women's ability to take part in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods.

Before the programme began, Board members were briefed on its design, objectives and expected results. They then proposed a field visit to see the achievements and the changes they have brought to the people involved.

Where the Board went

Accompanied by the OTOV programme team, Board members visited three sites in the Mulindi tea catchment area:

Mulindi Tea Factory
Coothevm Cooperative
The Gender Group in the Ngondore tea zone.

The day began with a departure for Mulindi at 8:00 a.m. Introductory meetings with factory management, cooperative leaders and gender group representatives followed. The Board then spent the day on site visits, conversations with tea farmers, workers, cooperative members and women in gender groups, and joint reflection.

What the visit set out to do

The visit had six aims:

Review the key OTOV activities at the selected sites.
Identify and document the main achievements and changes at Mulindi Tea Factory, Coothevm Cooperative and the Ngondore Gender Group.
Gather testimonies and feedback from beneficiaries and other stakeholders on the programme's contribution to women's empowerment, gender equality, participation and decision-making.
Identify challenges, lessons learned and promising practices that could be replicated or strengthened.
Hear stakeholders' views on how the achievements can be sustained beyond the programme period.
Give the Board evidence-based insights and recommendations to guide oversight, organisational learning and future interventions.

Debrief and next steps

The day closed with a debrief in which Board members and staff shared their observations and lessons learned. They also discussed the remaining steps towards closing the OTOV programme, including documentation and reporting. The findings and recommendations will feed into a field visit report. They will inform DIDE Rwanda's organisational learning, strengthen the Board's strategic oversight and shape future interventions.

DIDE Rwanda thanks the management and staff of Mulindi Tea Factory, the leaders and members of Coothevm Cooperative, the members of the Ngondore Gender Group for welcoming the Board and for the openness with which they shared their experiences.

DIDE Rwanda remains committed to promoting dignity, inclusion, gender equality and better living conditions for women, families and communities across Rwanda.

Employee of the Year 2025

CEDRICK — 2026-10-20T16:44:43Z

Congratulations to our staff member Angeline Habarugira as Employee of the year 2025.

Closing the 6th Phase of training for inmates preparing to complete their sentences for crimes related to the Genocide against the Tutsi 1994 in Nyamasheke CF.

CEDRICK — 2026-04-02T18:31:24Z

Today, at Nyamasheke Correctional Facility, Organization DiDe Rwanda has participated in the closing ceremony of the sixth phase of training on promoting Unity and Resilience among Rwandans is taking place. This training is designed for inmates convicted of crimes related to the Genocide against the Tutsi who are preparing to complete their sentences.

Families of the inmates, including their children and spouses, are also attending this event.

The Guest of Honor is the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), @DrDamascene.

This activity has been organized by MINUBUMWE in collaboration with @RCS_Rwanda, @Interpeace_Org, @CBS__Rwanda, @pfrwanda, and @DiDe_Rwanda.

International conference in Austria on Learning from the Past, Shaping the Future: Remembrance, Reconciliation & Reintegration."

CEDRICK — 2026-03-24T18:49:00Z

On March 23, 2026, the Executive Director of DIDE participated in an international conference in Austria on Learning from the Past, Shaping the Future: Remembrance, Reconciliation & Reintegration The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

She highlighted the critical need to prepare the reintegration of women inmates convicted of genocide crimes, emphasizing healing and sustainable social cohesion.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DAY 2026

CEDRICK — 2026-03-08T18:37:00Z

On International Women's Day, let's remember these women are more than their crimes. They're mothers, daughters, and sisters. They deserve a second chance, hope & dignity. Let's not let their past define their future. They're not alone; they're ours. Let's visit them and offer love & support.