Residents of Ruhango District have been urged to save if they are to improve their lives and also contribute to national development.

Francois Xavier Mbabazi, the mayor of Ruhango District, made the last week while meeting residents at Nkuganire SACCO in Ntongwe sector last week.

"We are putting more emphasis on creating public awareness and encouraging residents to save with SACCOs and cooperatives,” he said.

The mayor said there are many cooperatives across the district which they can join to save and borrow micro-loans for support of their projects. Mbabazi said there are nine SACCOs in the area, with about 68,351 customers and saving deposits worth over Rwf400 million. The mayor said saving is crucial as it helps increase financial inclusion.

Susan Mukankubana, one of the residents, said the cooperative has enabled them to save and get credit to invest in income-generating activities.