Government Integration: System-Level Change
Beyond Partnership. Full Integration.
Dream Village is not working alongside Rwanda’s health system. We are integrated into it.
This distinction matters. It means our peer-led model is not a temporary NGO intervention. It is recognized, adopted, and scaled within Rwanda’s national health strategy.
How We Integrate into Rwanda’s Health System
Community Level: Direct Service Delivery
Dream Village delivers peer-led support through the CATS model, including home visits, peer groups, and facility-based care. This is where behavior change happens.
System Level: Capacity Building
We train government health providers and teachers on supporting young people living with HIV in school community. We strengthen youth-friendly services, and improve how systems serve young people.
National Level: Policy and Strategy
Dream Village participates in national policy bodies, implements government programs, and contributes to Rwanda’s national HIV strategy.
Influencing National HIV Policy
Dream Village is a member of the Technical Working Group on HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment.
This national body advises the Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre on HIV strategy.
Our participation ensures that:
Official Government Program Implementer
Dream Village implements the AGYW program in Rwamagana, Kayonza, and Kamonyi districts.
This program is funded through the Global Fund and delivered through government systems.
This means:
Endorsed by Rwanda Biomedical Centre
The Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has formally endorsed the CATS model for national scaling. RBC is Rwanda’s highest health authority. This endorsement signals that CATS is not a temporary pilot project; it is a nationally scalable health system intervention.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health provided youth corners at health facilities with the highest viral load suppression rates specifically for Dream Village to operate in. This represents government confidence in our peer-led approach as the solution to reaching difficult-to-serve youth populations.
Embedded Within Rwanda’s Public Health System
Ministry of Health Facility Support
Youth-friendly spaces integrated directly into government health facilities.
Dream Village does not operate outside Rwanda’s health system. We are embedded within it.
The Ministry of Health designated youth corners within government health facilities specifically for the implementation of Dream Village’s CATS peer support model. These youth-friendly spaces improve access to counseling, adherence support, and psychosocial services for adolescents and young people living with HIV.
This government infrastructure investment demonstrates institutional confidence in peer-led care and commitment to scaling youth-friendly health services nationally.
When government builds infrastructure for your programs, your programs are system-integrated.
Training Government Health Providers
Strengthening youth-friendly service delivery across Rwanda’s health system.
Dream Village trains government health facility staff on adolescent and youth-friendly service delivery.
Training participants include:
– district health officers
– facility managers
– nurses and clinical staff
– frontline health providers
These trainings help strengthen communication, confidentiality, psychosocial support, and service accessibility for young people within public health facilities.
Capacity building takes place directly within government systems and supports Rwanda’s national health priorities and HIV response objectives.
Training Teachers on Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Government-endorsed education integrated into Rwanda’s school system.
In partnership with Health Development Initiative Rwanda and funded by SIDA, Dream Village delivers Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) training to government school teachers.
This is not a parallel NGO initiative operating outside the education system. It is government-supported and integrated into Rwanda’s broader education and youth development framework.
The training equips teachers with knowledge and tools to deliver age-appropriate, evidence-based sexuality education that supports adolescent health, HIV prevention, and informed decision-making among young people.
Aligned with Rwanda’s National Priorities
Dream Village’s work aligns with:
Our programs strengthen government systems rather than operate independently.
Why Government Integration Matters
Government integration ensures:
This is the highest level of impact. When government adopts and scales a model, it becomes part of the system.
From Innovation to National Policy
Dream Village’s peer-led approach is moving from local implementation to national adoption.
This is the ultimate measure of success:
A model becomes policy because it works.
Invest in System-Level Impact
Dream Village is delivering measurable results. With the right partnerships, this model can reach more young people and strengthen systems nationwide.