Page 149 - EMBRACE Book

Photo: © 2019 ADRA | Frank Spangler
Pascal, Rwanda

148 “When EMBRACE came here, my wife decided to join. When and I started to help my wife at home. When she is not at 149
she started putting into practice the things that she was
home, I can stay with the kids and cook for the family. She
learning, I saw many benefits. She encouraged me to also can be confident that if I’m at home, everything’s ok. When
join a group. I asked her if there were any other men in the she comes back and sees that all the work at home is in good
groups. She said there were. Finally, after three months, I order, she is very happy and she thanks me.
decided to join a group. I thought, ‘We are one family. If my
wife goes to a group and shares the benefits with the family, Some men tease me, but I don’t pay any attention to them. I
then I need to go, too, and share more benefits with our know what I want for my family. I saw the importance of
family.’ supporting my wife and my family. Even if there are men
who tease me by saying that I’m doing women’s work, it
After I joined the group, it no longer mattered to me whether doesn’t matter. It’s more important to me to work and be
there were other men or not. I found an interest in going with my wife. Our relationship has changed. It has improved
regardless. Even if there were no other men, I’d still go to the a lot. We complete each other. We are together. We are a
groups. strong family.

The ideas of gender equality and gender equity were new to I am what they call a Male Champion. My role is to try to
me. After the trainings, I made the decision to change sensitize other men to gender and family issues and to
because I saw that there were many benefits from encourage them to change. Now more men have made the
understanding gender-related activities at the family level. decision to change and they have joined the EMBRACE
Before EMBRACE, my wife used to work hard at the family groups. There is a positive impact at the village level as these
level and I was somehow too tired to help her. Through the men improve their way of thinking and their family’s
trainings, however, I saw that it was difficult for her to work welfare.”
alone at the family level. So I changed my way of thinking

Photo: © 2019 ADRA | Frank Spangler