It is a hot Saturday afternoon, in Huye, a small town in the south of Rwanda at a university that existed for almost 56 Years, when beautiful souls that are great devotees to Rights of the Human Race and Peace in the world gathers. Everyone knows them as SCORPions.

They aren’t dangerous as SCORPions but took the name after SCORP (Standing committee on Human Rights and Peace) to which they belong to. The fact that they are medical students interested in Rights and Peace, a concept that is believed to be reserved to lawyers, is wondrously amazing to many as much as it is a confusion. This time round SCORPions met to introduce SCORP series their year-long project.

SCORPions smiles

Around 2:30pm the majority of participants had arrived. After everyone felt comfortable the Moderator of the event welcomed the NORP (National officer on Human Rights and Peace) who reminded participants of their role in Human Rights despite being a concept that not only the majority of public didn’t understand its implications on health but medical students as well. Stressing our role in human rights, the NORP showed us a video of Dr.Mukwege Dennis a gynecologist who deals with Human Rights promotion. She went further gave a warm welcome to every participant.

What is SCORP? How did SCORP start? How is SCORP structured? These are some questions that perplexed many. However, at the end of the session everyone had a clear understanding that SCORP is one of the IFMSA (international federation of Medical students’ associations) standing committees that deals with Human Rights and Peace; that it started in 1983 as the standing committee on Refugees which later became what is known today and lastly its hierarchy of leadership was also discussed from international level to the local level. All thanks to SCORPion Noella Giraneza who gave her best!!!

Middle of the session

It was very interesting to participants, everyone would tell from how they followed attentively but the best was yet to come. That’s when SCORPion Samantha kicked in. Samantha told us about her story with Human Rights and how it started long before she joined SCORP, she depicted the role of everyone wherever they are in promoting and protecting Human Rights. This reminds me of Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote which states that “Human Rights begin in small spaces that cannot even be seen on maps.”

Human Rights is something whose whole understanding lies on respect, non-discrimination and treating each other with a spirit of brotherhood. The SCORP Dream team laid down what everyone should see in a SCORPion and it was delivered to participants by SCORPion Segwiza Aimable.

The main part of the event was to present to fellow lovely SCORPions about what SCORP series has in store. SCORP series was presented as a year-long project where all SCORPions will be part of six different groups of people who are vulnerable to violation of their Rights, namely; Children, women, refugees, migrants, disabled people and mentally ill people. Through these groups different Human Rights and effects of their violations on Health will be discussed. SCORP series will bring a clearer understanding on Human Rights and will maintain proximity among SCORPions.

Finally, the VPI elect and at the same time the outgoing NORP Muhoza Mugeneka Blaise gave his remarks and was very glad about the leap SCORP is taking, thereafter everyone joined a team of their interest based on the six vulnerable groups aforementioned after which unfortunately the sweet, memorable, educative, awe-inspiring and wondrously amazing session came to an end by the official closure by the NORP.

Should you want to join SCORP feel free to contact the NORP or any MEDSAR leader, open wide arms are more than pleased to give you green hugs!

NORP Madeleine KAZINDU.

Categories: Uncategorized

2 Comments

alphonse Muhirwa · April 1, 2019 at 12:07 am

live scorpion and die scorpion

Stephany · April 12, 2019 at 2:09 pm

I enjoy the report

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