A-Bato is a Rwandan NGO, whose mission is to ensure the well-being of vulnerable children and their parents, especially girl-mothers.

A-Bato has set up a specific project to take care of 20 underage girl-mothers who have had to drop out of school due to unwanted pregnancies. Twenty girl-mothers, aged between 14 and 18 years old, with a minimum of 6th grade and 1 to 3 years of secondary school were selected. The goal is to support these young people in learning a trade of their choice for one year (October 2021 to October 2022) and to ensure secondary follow-up.

It is particularly important to help these young underage mothers, as they are most often rejected by their families and the community, following this pregnancy outside of marriage. The project therefore also involves sensitizing the family and the community, as the reintegration of the underage girl-mother and her child is essential.

The Hermann Foundation, following its support, will closely follow the evolution of this innovative and well defined project. The success of this first class will determine the continuation of the project for the years to come.

At the end of September 2022, there was very good news; the 2021-2022 project was successful.

Of the 20 selected girl-mothers, 15 have successfully completed the three terms of training and their final internship: 5 in sewing, 1 in electricity, 1 in car mechanics, 5 in hairdressing and 3 in cooking. They will continue to be followed until they have been able to complete their training with a job or the creation of their own business.

Congratulations to the A-Bato Association for the realization of this promising project.

Spring 2023  : More good news.

After the success of the 2021-2022 class, A-Bato, understanding that the young sewing graduates could not start without the basic tool, a sewing machine, decided to build a workshop equipped with 26 sewing machines. From March 1st, 20 new girls/women will follow the basic course, supervised by the first 6 graduates who came to improve their skills, and above all, directed by a professional teacher. A very big step that the Hermann Foundation is very motivated to accompany.

September 2023 : the program is well underway.

In the beautiful, newly-built workshop, the new intake of girls/women are diligently and successfully completing their training as seamstresses, supervised as assistant trainers by the 6 students trained in the first intake.

The success of these students is gradually changing attitudes. The young mothers rejected by their parents have been reconciled with them, and the grandparents now recognize their hitherto cursed grandchildren and look after them by day. The downward spiral that was dragging everyone down is finally being reversed for the good of all.

What’s more, 4 of the first 6 seamstresses were able to buy their own sewing machine and are now active in their village.

The A-Bato training program is therefore a complete success, with these young women being integrated both socially and professionally, while also securing a future for their children. The next intake is already on the way.

Spring 2024 : A new batch

A new batch of seamstresses was able to take the training course (November 2023 to May 2024), supervised by alumni and a professional seamstress, and 13 of them (out of 15 initially) received their certificate on May 17, 2024.

Thanks to the equipped workshop, they can start work straight away and provide their families with a little income.

At the beginning of June 2024, a new selection of 20 girls/women took place and training is scheduled to start on June 17 (until December 2024).

The project is now up and running.

Latest news : November 2024, visit from the President of the Hermann Foundation

The November 2024 visit by the founder and president of the Hermann Foundation to the A-Bato association in Kigali is all the more interesting and important as A-Bato is a project that the FH has been following for years. Hindsight allows us to see the long-term results, and needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise.

At the reception in the association’s premises (sewing workshop and center under construction), most of the beneficiaries of the first batches were keen to be present and testify to their success. They now have jobs or have set up their own businesses, whether in sewing, hairdressing or catering. In fact, it was one of them, now an independent caterer, who provided the meal for everyone.

Students at work

A-Bato is thus fully successful in its mission to reclaim these young women in distress and enable them to lead decent, dignified lives. Their method, which also includes the families, is so effective that many young girls/women in the region are now asking to benefit from the program.

A new intake for the beginning of 2025 is currently being selected, while the 15 young women who will complete their sewing course in December 2024 are already organizing to set up a cooperative that will enable them to sell their production.

The immediate future of A-Bato, in addition to the training of new batches (for the moment in sewing only), is the acquisition of more sophisticated machines enabling the production of more elaborate items, as well as progress on the construction of the center, which will be equipped with sanitary facilities (toilets and showers), a large kitchen, training premises to be able to diversify these, dormitories and a large meeting room (canteens, weddings, meetings and shows of all kinds, with the aim of generating some income), the only one in the whole community.