Fanny Nyirarukundo, a resident of Kayonza district was married to Venuste Masumbuko. Their marriage was like that of most couples; have kids, build a home and a future together.
The first years of their union were ordinary, happy at most but unfortunately this didn’t last. After years of living together, conflicts arose. Nyirarukundo and her husband would fight over anything, peace in their family was completely lost.
After years of constant bickering and fighting, Nyirarukundo decided she couldn’t take it anymore. She found it hard to live that kind of life and so opted to leave the marriage and took their three children with her.
As she filed for divorce, Nyirarukundo sought support from Haguruka, filing an urgent claim for custody and child support.
Haguruka provided her with legal aid service; she was given an advocate to represent her before the courts of law. Nyirarukundo won the case and the court ordered Masumbuko to pay Rwf 100,000 as child support every month. And, he was also to pay school fees and health insurance for the children.
With Haguruka’s support, Nyirarukundo was able to carry on with the divorce process, leaving an abusive marriage.
Haguruka maintains a nationwide network of paralegals, who serve a key role in providing basic legal advice, referrals, and other fundamental legal support on succession law, family law, and property law, among other things.
They support in identifying GBV cases and providing out-of-court mediation, in which both parties address their differences with the help of a lawyer to help them reach an agreement without having to go to court.
They also assist the community in resolving various concerns without resorting to litigation. These paralegals continue to express a need for refresher trainings to enable them to continue serving the community, prompting Haguruka to arrange and perform one for the remaining two districts.