Religious leaders from Nyamasheke District have appealed to their fellow clergy to sensitize Rwandans on the importance of using family planning methods.

The majority of Rwandans have religious affiliations to which they subscribe. And in their various religions, the leaders are considered to be influential, and therefore should use this authority to promote issues that can improve the lives of their flock.

Over time, there have been continuous debates and controversy on whether the clergy should be involved in family planning. However, the issue should not be whether they should be involved, but what impact their involvement would have on improving the lives of the people.

During the recent Presidential elections, the clergy did a good job of encouraging the people to come out and exercise their civic rights by voting. The result of this mass sensitization campaign saw over 98 percent of the eligible voters turning out to cast their ballots.

This same approach should be applied to other developmental programs; be it land management, hygiene, healthcare, or education to mention but a few.  Like other opinion leaders, the clergy should go beyond religious teachings and actively contribute to the development of the country, as stipulated in its Vision 2020 and Government’s seven year strategy that was presented by the Prime Minister last week in Parliament

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