Para Social Workers : mystery to mission

Imagine a world where poverty is not something you are stuck with forever, but just a problem you can work through. In Rwanda, a powerful social program called the Vison Umerenge Program is working to achieve that vision. At the heart of VUP’s strategy to eradicate poverty lies a dedicated group of individuals called Para Social Workers (PSWs). These community heroes play a critical role in supporting vulnerable households and guiding them on a path towards self-sufficiency. Every village has a PSW, 15,000 in total, doing home visits to poor families to coach them on how to graduate out of poverty.

Three Mountains is developing a training curriculum for PSWs to enhance their knowledge, skills, and competencies. This project aims to empower these changemakers even further. As one of the Mountains, I embarked on a journey to develop the training curriculum for PSWs. For this, Three Mountains collaborates closely with UNICEF, LODA (Local Administrative Entities Development Agency) and many others.

To ensure the training material meets the needs of PSWs, we conducted field visits and engaged directly with them. I met Lucien, a passionate PSW. He revealed challenges such as the labour-intensive nature of home visits and the lack of training materials. Interestingly, the PSWs themselves don’t view their role as group facilitators, preferring to focus on home visits.

In response to these insights, Three Mountains recommended keeping to a structured 10-hour workweek for PSWs, along with incorporating weekly group sessions where they could act as facilitators teaching beneficiaries Forward! courses. These sessions cover topics that equip graduation candidates with the goals and vision for success before implementing their business ideas. This conversation and many others like it, became the foundation for the training materials we are designing.

First, I made a video where two PSWs give a testimony about their work. They talk about how they love their clients and how they love to see success when their clients improve their living conditions. It was my first professional video and I am proud of how its being received.

Currently, I’m developing lessons that fit the needs of PSWs, like what they do, what they need to know, and how they can handle their workloads. It’s not just about knowing stuff; it’s also about understanding how they feel and what they go through every day.

Before this project, I was unaware of the existence of Para Social Workers (PSWs) in Rwanda and their significant role in supporting families through VUP. Discovering their contributions has been enlightening, as I gained insight into their daily tasks and the challenges they encounter.

Also, this project showed me why it’s important to design things with the people who use them in mind. That’s called human-centered design. Instead of making training programs without asking anyone, we put the PSWs – the real helpers on the ground – at the forefront. For example, by prioritising input from PSWs, we tailored training programs to address their specific requirements, such as the implementation of a 10-hour workweek to alleviate the labour-intensive nature of home visits.

Together, we’re not just making PSWs better at their jobs, but we’re also changing communities, one PSW at a time. I’m proud to be a part of this. I can’t wait to see all the good things it brings to Rwanda.

Christian Mwiseneza