STEPS Initiative
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Recovery does not end at the rehabilitation center it begins there.”
During a dialogue at Iwawa Rehabilitation Center on life after rehabilitation, after the conversation our Founder had the honor of being featured on Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) .rwanda
The conversation focused on important realities of the recovery journey: managing relapse, avoiding triggers, understanding harm reduction, and giving hope that recovery is possible.
At , we believe healing continues in the community. With empathy, support, and understanding, we can walk alongside people in recovery as they rebuild their lives and move forward with dignity. 🤝💙
08/03/2026
Happy International Women’s Day! 🌍
At STEPS Initiative, we celebrate the incredible women who inspire change, lead with courage, and shape a better future.
22/02/2026
People call me Founder.
Some call me Executive Director.
Others know me from leadership spaces.
But yesterday at Iwawa Rehabilitation Center, none of those titles mattered.
I stood in front of more than 4,000 young men as a recovering addict.
And as I was speaking, I remembered where I came from. I remembered the days when recovery felt impossible. I remembered the moments when I needed someone to believe in me.
Joran, thank you for supporting this journey. Thank you for believing in the mission. Your encouragement made this moment possible.
Standing there was emotional. Because I know what it feels like to sit in that place uncertain about your future, fighting silent battles.
Yesterday was not about position.
It was about purpose.
If even one young man among those 4,000 chooses recovery because of that message, then everything I went through had meaning.
Recovery is possible.
And sometimes the greatest leadership comes from lived experience.
10/02/2026
Harm reduction saves lives.
deserve dignity, not stigma.
Compassion is not weakness it’s public health.
Let’s choose care over punishment.
Message from our founder.
For a long time, we thought helping someone with addiction meant saying:
“Drugs are bad. Look what you’re doing to your life.”
But here’s the truth I’ve learned — first as someone who lived addiction, and now as an addiction counselor:
When you talk to a person that way, they don’t hear concern.
They hear judgment.
They hear “you are a failure.”
They hear “you are broken.”
And once someone feels judged, they stop listening.
Addiction is not a lack of information.
Most people already know the damage.
What they lack is hope, safety, and someone who believes in them.
When I was struggling, what helped me wasn’t fear or shame.
It was someone who said:
“I see you. I know you’re hurting. And I believe you can change.”
Real recovery starts when people feel understood, not attacked.
When we help someone articulate their pain, not defend themselves.
When we replace “What’s wrong with you?” with “What happened to you?”
As a recovering addict and counselor, I stand for a different approach:
One rooted in compassion, dignity, and connection.
Because people don’t change when they feel small.
They change when they feel safe enough to hope again.
If you are supporting someone struggling with addiction, remember:
Your words can either close their heart or open a door to recovery.
Let’s choose words that heal. 🤍
Recovering addict | Addiction counselor | Mental health advocate
Your wellbeing mattersour team is ready to support you.
😊
16/12/2025
📍 YAN Convening – Community of Practice (CoP)
🗓️ November 10–11 | 📌 Crown Hotel
STEPS Initiative was proud to take part in the Youth Advocate Network (YAN) Convening – Community of Practice (CoP), organized in partnership with UNICEF Rwanda and the Ministry of Youth and Arts | Rwanda.
The convening brought together youth-led organizations from across Rwanda to learn, connect, and collaborate—strengthening youth leadership and reinforcing the role of young people in driving positive change through civil society.
This milestone marks the official launch of an annual Community of Practice, a powerful platform that will continue to strengthen collaboration, shared learning, and collective impact among youth-led organizations.
We extend our sincere appreciation to , the Ministry of Youth and Arts | Rwanda, and all youth leaders and partners who made this convening a success. Together, we are building a united, resilient, and youth-driven civil society.
🇷🇼️
08/12/2025
STEPS INITIATIVE at — Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭
We are proud to stand alongside our Tubiteho consortium partners at the one of Africa’s most important platforms for advancing HIV, harm reduction, and community-led health.
This year’s gathering brings together more than 10,000 delegates to reflect on progress toward ending AIDS by 2030 and driving the AU Agenda 2063 for health.
We’re inspired by the powerful work showcased through key abstracts on:
✨ Challenges in harm reduction services for people who inject drugs
✨ Community-led monitoring for key populations
✨ Vulnerabilities faced by children of s*x workers and the need for stronger rights protection
We also had meaningful exchanges with colleagues from Médecins du Monde Côte d’Ivoire, WAPCAS Plus Ghana, and harm reduction organizations from Benin, Togo, and Mali—strengthening our shared commitment to inclusive, community-driven responses.
Together, we move forward in advancing harm reduction and ensuring no one is left behind. 💛💚
06/12/2025
STEPS INITIATIVE AT ICASA 2025 — ACCRA, GHANA 🇬🇭
This week, is proud to be represented at the ICASA Conference, one of Africa’s most important platforms for advancing conversations on HIV, Hepatitis, TB, and harm reduction.
People who use drugs especially those who inject continue to face high risks of HIV and Hepatitis. But more importantly, they face stigma, exclusion, and a lack of access to compassionate, evidence-based services.
At STEPS Initiative, we believe in a simple truth:
Support saves lives. Punishment does not.
People who use drugs are not defined by stigma
They are human beings, deserving of care, dignity, and opportunities to rebuild their lives.
Our presence at ICASA is about:
✨ Learning from global experts
✨ Strengthening harm reduction advocacy
✨ Bringing back knowledge to empower our community in Rwanda
✨ Ensuring lived experience is part of the solutions
We stand committed to building a future where no one is left behind.
Follow our journey from Accra as we bring the voices of our community to the continental stage.
05/12/2025
STEPS INITIATIVE is honored to join this powerful conversation!
As we commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we are partnering with regional organizations and .light.to.society to explore an urgent topic:
📱 Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)
and its impact on mental health, including anxiety, stress, trauma, and the emotional harm many survivors face in digital spaces.
We believe that raising awareness is a key step toward creating safer, healthier, and more supportive online communities.
We are excited to have Olivier Ishimwe representing STEPS Initiative on the panel alongside dedicated experts and advocates.
📅 Date: 8 December 2025
⏰ Time: 8:00–9:00 PM EAT
Your voice and presence matter in this movement.
Let’s stand together for safety, dignity, and mental well-being. 💛
🔗 Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7tQbNhow2JALPKSuieseQeHeK3uLs4bURveDrk4Ozj2_E5w/viewform?usp=dialog
21/11/2025
Over the past 3 days in Rubavu, the STEPS INITIATIVE had the honour of being represented by our Executive Director, Nshimiyimana, at the IMRO-Rwanda pre-meeting with Civil Society Organizations ahead of the Midterm Review of the HIV/Hepatitis National Strategic Plan 2024–2027.
As an organization founded and led by individuals with lived experience including our ED Alain, who once used drugs we understand deeply the stigma, fear, and barriers that People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) face every day. This lived experience continues to guide our work and strengthens our commitment to community-led advocacy.
Throughout the sessions, CSOs focused on how to strengthen advocacy for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and ensure that harm reduction remains at the centre of national health strategies.
Key challenges highlighted include:
🔹 High risk of HIV and Hepatitis infections among people who inject drugs, due to unsafe injecting practices
🔹 Risk of overdose and preventable deaths
🔹 Stigma and discrimination, which prevent individuals from seeking healthcare
🔹 Criminalization, which pushes people further away from support
🔹 Limited access to harm reduction and community-led services
These realities remind us why harm reduction is essential. Harm reduction is not about encouraging drug use—it is about saving lives, restoring dignity, and giving people a chance to heal.
We were encouraged to see CSOs working together to identify gaps, share experiences, and shape priorities that will strengthen an inclusive and effective national response. Lived experience must remain central in these conversations.
A national strategy succeeds only when the communities most affected are part of designing the solutions.
We extend our gratitude to du Monde, Health Development Initiative (HDI), and IMRO-Rwanda for creating this platform under the project. As the STEPS INITIATIVE, we remain committed to advocating for compassion, evidence-based harm reduction, and equitable access to health services for all.
19/11/2025
The Tree of Addiction: Look Beneath the Surface
Addiction is more than what we see on the outside.
Alcohol. Drugs. Gambling. Social media. Food. Work.
These are the branches but not the whole story.
The real causes grow underground:
✨ Trauma
✨ Loneliness
✨ Fear
✨ Shame
✨ Neglect
✨ Abandonment
People don’t struggle because they are weak.
They struggle because they are hurting.
At Steps Initiative, we don’t just focus on stopping the behavior.
We focus on healing the roots, strengthening mental health, and building supportive communities where recovery is possible.
Let’s break the silence.
Let’s break the stigma.
Let’s support those who are trying to rebuild their lives.
Recovery starts with understanding. Healing starts with compassion.
— STEPS INITIATIVE💙
Raising awareness. Restoring hope. Transforming lives.
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