How Kirehe villagers won national Umuganda award

Residents of Kigarama Sector in Kirehe District were on Saturday recognised for accomplishing a community effort that saw them construct a primary school. The school, worth about Rwf25 million, is the brainchild of the sector residents who wanted to address the issue of the long distance covered by their children to and from school. The new school has three classrooms and officials at the Ministry of Local Government promised to help construct additional two classrooms before the school starts operations next year. About a third of the cost was raised through financial contributions (Rwf9,532,556) by the residents of all the five cells across the sector, while the rest came in the form of the monthly Umuganda activities (worth Rwf15,455,340). Derived from the long-held Rwandan tradition of community self-help practice, Umuganda is done across the country on the last Saturday of every month during which neighbours join hands to solve a community problem or undertake a development effort. In Kirehe District, on Saturday, officials from central and local government joined residents in celebrating the achievement of the residents of Kigarama Sector, which saw them win the 2017/18 Umuganda prize – an annual accolade that goes to a sector that achieved the most over a financial year. Kigarama took the crown from another sector in Kirehe District – Nyamugari which won the 2016/17 award. Nyamugari residents had emerged the winners for constructing a health post worth Rwf80 million. The annual award is its eighth year. Cyriaque Harelimana, the Minister of State in charge of Socioeconomic Development, handed Kigarama sector officials a cheque worth Rwf2.5 million for their achievement, during an event held at the district head office. Bank of Kigali, which partnered with Government in celebrating the achievement, also handed the sector Rwf2.2 million, which will go toward acquisition of furniture and other materials for the school. The new school is expected to serve about 400 children next year. Parents said their children were walking for more than 14km to and from the nearest primary school every day, which will be no more come next academic year. Florida Niyibizi, the leader of parents’ committee that was in charge of implementing the construction project, said the idea was first proposed by the residents of Nyabubare village in Kigarama Sector in 2014 after it was realised that their children were increasingly dropping out of school over the long distance to school. Jeanne Mukahumuza, a resident of Nyabubare village – where the school is located (in Nyakerera Cell) – is a mother of five children and says two of them will attend the newly constructed school. “My children have been complaining of the long distance to their school. But now with the new school they will no longer drag themselves to school,” she said. Viviane Mukagatare, a resident of Cyanya Cell, noted that their accomplishment was inspired by good leadership. “The next target is to construct a secondary school,” she beamed. “Residents have to support their leaders and government in fostering development.” She called on all Rwandans to take Umuganda seriously. “We can do almost everything by ourselves if we fully embraced Umuganda.” Kirehe mayor Gerald Muzungu said the district had surpassed their Umuganda target for last financial year (July 2017-June 2018) of Rwf724 million, hitting Rwf900 million instead. “We are glad that Kirehe residents have understood the importance of Umuganda in building the nation, this is observed in their productive undertakings as part of our Umuganda tradition,” he said. The Governor of Eastern Province, Fred Mufulukye, also hailed the residents of the district for playing a major role in development efforts. The event coincided with the launch of ‘Umuganda Month’ during which residents across the country are expected to undertake voluntary works designed to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable households. The campaign, which will run through September, will also see Rwandans partake in efforts to rehabilitate key infrastructure such as roads and bridges that were destroyed by recent rain-induced disasters. “We are calling on citizens to join hands with their leaders and carry out initiatives that change their lives for the better,” said Harelimana. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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How Kirehe villagers won national Umuganda award