EASTERN PROVINCE

GATSIBO — At least 40 families in Kabarore sector on Friday received heifers donated by the rural development program-Ubudehe.

The recipients were those seconded by fellow residents as capable of looking after the animals.

During the hand over ceremony to excited beneficiaries, Joseph Munyaburambi the sector executive secretary called upon the beneficiaries to use the opportunity to improve their livelihood and eradicate poverty from their homes.

"At the moment, your livelihood has been boosted with a cow to provide milk for your families and manure for your gardens which has been lacking,” Munyaburambi said.
Beneficiaries many of them poor elderly people could not hide the excitement.

"I can’t believe that at this age I could be lucky to receive a cow and a telephone handset in one day. The government is handling us well,” said one resident only identified as Mukagatare.

She had moments earlier received a mobile phone handset from the Sector on credit.
The exercise was set to continue throughout this week with a target of covering 250 families.

Meanwhile, the government has released a consignment of about 4,526 mobile telephone handsets of Motorola type meant to be given to residents across the district on credit.
According to Sector officials, many residents had by last Friday acquired the facilities.
The government of Rwanda acquired the facilities through Rwanda development bank in a bid to improve communication in rural areas.

Each handset cost Frw13,526 to be paid in instalments of Frw 2,150 per month. Capable residents can as well pay slightly less amount Frw12,450 if they are paying in cash.
Residents who talked to The New Times expressed gratitude to the government for the facilities.

Jackson Muvunyi, the executive secretary of Murambi sector, said on Friday that they had received many residents willing to pay in cash.

"Surprisingly most of the residents have paid cash which makes it easier for us to collect the money,” Muvunyi said.

The executive secretary of Rugarama John Mushumba said that the provision of the phones to the residents in his sector has been timely because they just recently received MTN network connection in the area.
"We had just recently got network connection in our area and MTN had just reduced calling charges. It is going to be easy and cheap for low income earners to use the phones,” said Mushumba.
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