Rwanda’s plan to completely phase out orphanages continues to face major challenges with more than 1,000 foster families needed to take in children still in institutions.

The programme, which is being coordinated by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) and the National Commission for Children (NCC), has been extended several times as many children remain in orphanages countrywide with no prospective adopters coming forward. This week, the Ministry revealed that there are over 1,104 children who need foster homes.

Under the initiative, government wants all children to be raised in families as a way of imparting values and give them good upbringing which they do not get in orphanages.

While launching “Tubarerere mu Muryango” campaign, which translates into “Let’s Raise Children in Families,” the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Dr Diane Gashumba called on families to adopt children who are currently in orphanages.

“If we got one family in each of the 2,148 cells across the country adopting a child, all the children in orphanages would have a place to call home,” Dr Gashumba said.

The government is partnering with United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) to drive the campaign, despite the challenges such as new orphaned children, abandoned children as well as children who escape from their adoptive families.

Over 2,000 children have been adopted by foster families since the government introduced a policy to phase out orphanages in 2012. Initially the government had planned to complete the process by the end of 2014, before the programme was extended by another two years.

However the government says there has been a tremendous reduction of the number of children in orphanages since the campaign to close them was introduced.

Observers say the government needs to address the root causes rather than the symptoms in dealing with the issue.

Previous reports indicated that many children fled their foster families and returned to orphanages because of poverty and hunger while others have alleged mistreatment.

However some who have been taken in by families say the experience has been life changing.

“From my foster family, I have been able to learn values and norms which I didn’t know about in the orphanage. Growing up in a home, one feels loved and appreciated,” said Diane Uwase, 15, one of the children being fronted as the faces of the campaign.

Experts say the economic situation and incomes of most Rwandan families does not allow them to adopt an extra child.

Some of the people Rwanda Today talked to challenged government officials fronting the programme to lead by example and adopt orphans.

“The truth is most government officials who earn hefty salaries are yet to adopt orphaned children, how about an ordinary Rwanda?” wondered Jean Nibagwire, a social researcher.