A week-long national leadership training programme of vice mayors in charge of social affairs kicked off yesterday in Rubavu District.

The programme is aimed at equipping them with social protection skills, according to a statement from the Ministry of Local Government.

It is organised by the ministry in collaboration with UNICEF and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and is part of the local government capacity building strategy.

According to the statement, the aim of the training is to help policymakers and implementers have a shared view of social protection interventions, in contributing to socioeconomic development and transformation.

Officially opening the training, the State Minister in charge of Social Affairs and Community Development, Dr Alvera Mukabaramba, noted that the government is ready to continue training local leaders to better serve the population.

"The primary focus of this course is to bridge the gap that exists and to sharpen the skills of the technocrats as well as bringing a coordinated understanding of the principles of social protection in our leaders,” she is quoted in the release.

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