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As Valentine's Day approaches, we meet four couples from around the world who are sharing the love with each other.
As part of our work on gender equality, Concern supports couples to build more equal relationships together. We do that by providing training that encourages them to challenge traditional gender roles, to share work and tasks equally both inside and outside the home, and to work better together so they can lift themselves out of poverty.
Charlotte and Joel have completed the Graduation Programme in Rwanda’s Gisagara district facilitated by Concern, which included gender training. Concern’s Graduation programmes support people living in extreme and often chronic poverty with a pathway out of it. Charlotte and Joel’s family was one of 2,700 vulnerable households who took part.
We were not living peacefully before. But the gender training helped us. Before the training, whenever my husband earned money, he would go and have a drink.
The training we received about being together, how we should engage with one another, helped us. And now we are able to listen to each other.
Bora and Nikyobategera say their relationship has changed for the better by taking part in the Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP) by Concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Before taking part in the HPP, Bora said it was impossible to spend a day without arguing with each other.
However, after completing the training, Bora and Nikyobategera can work together and make decisions together, which has allowed them to grow even more than before.
Bora said she cannot thank Concern enough for all it has done for her and her husband and promises to apply and pass on these lessons learned, forever.
Ghalia and Youssef transformed their home life and marriage by participating in Psychosocial Support Sessions (PSS) in Lebanon with Concern. The couple attended six positive parenting sessions, which helped them adapt the gender roles in their household.
“Youssef never did any housework,” Ghalia said when describing their relationship before the training.
After completing the training, Youssef now helps his wife with the cooking and household chores.
We have become more loving since Youssef has helped me. Before, he couldn’t see how I felt but now he can see if I’m tired from working so hard. We are talking more and I feel more appreciated.
I was raised with the view that a man’s role is outside of the house and a woman’s role is inside the house. Now, I think we have these two roles together.
Asmaru and Derebe have seen a big difference in their relationship since taking part in the Emergency Lifesaving Health and Nutrition Response project, which included parenting workshops in Ethiopia. The programme aims to help prevent the unnecessary deaths of babies and their mothers, to deepen couples’ love and to support communities in some of the most vulnerable parts of the world.
Asmaru attends mother-to-mother groups twice a month and says they supported her and her family as she adjusted to motherhood.
Nowadays my husband is helping me with different tasks, and we are even falling in love more. We even miss each other when he spends some time away from home.
Like these couples, you can share the love with that special someone in your life. A Concern Gift for Valentine's Day is the perfect way to do just that. And by purchasing a Concern Gift, you'll be spreading the love to communities in need - providing much-needed resources, along with vital gender equality training, so that more couples can share the love...and responsibilities together.
Support more couples by buying a Concern Valentine's Day Gift
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
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