KIGALI - Kigali City Council has allocated Rwf 1.4b in its 2010/2011 budget to create jobs, especially for the illiterate, as a way of curbing unemployment in the city.

In its budget plan, Rwf 1.3bn was allocated to the development of Agaseke project and training women involved in the project on modern weaving methods. 

Initiated by Kigali city, Agaseke Promotion Project now has over 3000 women basket weavers who also include former commercial sex workers and Genocide survivors.

The members who are grouped in 16 cooperative societies under their umbrella organization, Ihuriro Ibanga, each now earn between Rwf 40,000 and Rwf 80,000  per month and market their products  in Europe and Japan.

Rwf 14m will also be used to design a master plan for a weaving facility, 600 women will also be supported to develop a mushroom project at the cost of Rwf 81m while Rwf 12.5m was earmarked for the production of silk worms.

Following last year’s move to get rid of all street vendors operating within the city and the imposition Rwf10,000 fines and seizing the merchandise of those caught in the act, over Rwf 20.2m was allocated to help young vendors to organise themselves into cooperative societies.

"This will help in the development of the employment sector,” the plan reads in part..

Ends