Our interventions

Our area of intervention


The geographical area of CDJP Gikongoro is the whole Gikongoro Catholic Diocese which covers Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru Districts, a small portion of Nyanza, Huye and Karongi Districts. We have more than 2000 volunteers (paralegals, psychosocial animators, trauma counsellors, etc.) working in the communities

Our domains of intervention

According to our mission, CDJP Gikongoro intervenes in different domains such as:

  • Peace building among all citizens ( children and youth, couples, institutions and specific groups);
  • Unity and reconciliation among genocide perpetrators (and their families) and genocide survivors ( and their families);
  • Gender based violence (GBV) prevention and response including accompaniment of GBV victims ;
  • Promoting social cohesion among families living in conflicts and violence ;
  • Legal and psychological assistance to different victims of injustice;
  • Human rights protection ( education, advocacy and dissemination ) ;
  • Child rights protection (education, advocacy and legal registration of children illegally born );
  • Good governance ( monitoring of service delivery of local administrative entities ) and civic participation in decision making processes;
  • Women’s empowerment and participation in decision making at all levels ;
  • Capacity building of local structures members and other stake holders in different areas;
    Trauma counselling and hearing.

Our current projects

Empowerment of women for effective participation in decision-making

This project, financed by Trocaire and implemented in collaboration with CEJP Rwanda, has a duration of 5 years: from 2023 to 2027, and the intervention areas are the Mbazi and Kibumbwe sectors in the Nyamagabe district, and the Busanze and Nyabimata sectors in the Nyaruguru district.
The project’s target groups are Vulnerable women, women in formal and informal structures, young people, local authorities and community members in general.
The project works to build the capacity of women and girls, with a view to increasing their self-esteem and self-confidence, making them aware of their rights so that they can take part in decision-making, whether at family or community level, but also being able to stand for election and take part in decision-making forums”. The project also intervenes to mobilize local leaders and the population in general, to confront negative social norms that are obstacles to gender equality and equity, and to support women’s participation in decision-making. Project interventions are carried out through community mobilization

Combating domestic and professional violence against women

This project is being carried out in 8 parishes in the 3 districts of Nyaruguru (Kibeho and Muganza), Nyamagabe (Cyanika, Gikongoro, Mbuga, Mushubi, Bishyiga) and Nyanza (Kirambi), with funding from Secours catholique/Caritas France.
The direct beneficiaries of the project are: households in conflict, single mothers, presumed fathers and the community. The Fight against Domestic and Professional Violence program operates in 3 countries of the Great Lakes region where we collaborate with the CEJP Rwanda which ensures national coordination and the CDJP Cyangugu, in the DRC (CDJP BUKAVU and Caritas GOMA), and in Burundi (CEJP Burundi) and it runs for 3 years from 2023-2025. 
The project focuses on the following areas: social cohesion within households, the process of recognizing children born out of wedlock, and raising awareness of the law among the population in the intervention zone.

Community reintegration of released genocide prisoners in the Diocese of Gikongoro, southern Rwanda

With the support of Missio Aachen, CDJP Gikongoro is carrying out this project in the Cyanika and Gikongoro parishes, covering the Gasaka, Kibirizi, Cyanika, Mbazi and Kamegeri administrative sectors of Nyamagabe district and Nyagisozi of Nyanza district, from May 2023 to April 2024. The aim of the project is to normalize relations between families of genocide victims and those with members who took part in the genocide; to support and peacefully reintegrate genocide prisoners, many of whom are currently completing their sentences. The target group is mainly ex-prisoners and their spouses (300 people), genocide survivors (150 people) and the youth (150 young people) of ex-prisoners and genocide survivors. The methodology used for them is transformative retreat and transformative mediation.

Fighting for unity

The interpersonal cooperation project between Agiamondo (a German organization) and the CDJP Gikongoro will run for three years, from May 2022 to April 2025. The project addresses three central issues: social cohesion and reconciliation between genocide survivors, released prisoners and their respective families; the prevention and peaceful resolution of community conflicts; and the promotion of a culture of peace among young people. To address these issues, the project works through three direct partners in all the parishes of the Gikongoro Diocese, namely the CDJP Gikongoro, the CPJP and the Associations d’Unité et Réconciliation.