Former Ruhondo islanders say life has changed for the better

Jean Marie Vianney Gasigwa sits in his house as he repairs a radio, using electricity. It has been two months since Gasigwa was relocated from one of the small isles located in Lake Ruhondo in Musanze District, Northern Province. In the island, Gasigwa, like others says life was deplorable because they lived in isolation. They are very grateful for the relocation. Unlike other former islanders who also say life on the island was very difficult, Gasigwa has a particular condition, both his legs were amputated when he was only 14. “Life on the island was very difficult, we were so constrained to cross the island whenever we wanted services from mainland, which was on a daily basis since the island had no schools, no health centre, no market, among other basic facilities,” says Gasigwa. “As a disabled person, I struggled a lot to survive on the island. I later got an opportunity to train in tailoring and mechanics but I could hardly earn any money from these skills because there was no market and electricity on the island,” he says Gasigwa and other islanders saw a ray of hope when modern houses were constructed on the mainland for them before they were relocated. The green village hosts a total of fifty families. The families were relocated in March, and the relocation exercise cost Rwf314 million. The Integrated Green Village was constructed through a project “Supporting Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Protection for Pro-poor Green Growth (SERPG)”, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Vulnerable Ecosystem Recovery Programme (VERP). The projects are run under Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). Through the project, more 100 families are set to be relocated from the island as a way to ease their access to basic services and at the same time preserve the ecosystem. The houses in the village, have rain water harvesting tanks, cowsheds, and renewable energy. Besides those that have been given out, the rest are at 90 per cent completion and, once completed, the other dwellers of the island will be moved there. Each family will be given two cows to provide milk and manure to the owners as well as cow dung to make the biogas facility is operational. Some of houses constructed in the green village in Gashaka sector, Musanze District. (Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti) Beneficiaries say their evacuation from the island is a dream come true and believe that their lives will change for the better. “We have started enjoying a better life since we relocated, life is totally different. I now have a modern house equipped with electricity and has a kitchen and toilet unlike on the island where I had a very small house with no sanitation facilities,” says Gasigwa. Gasigwa says that, in the short time since relocation, he now earns up to Rwf3,000 per day, thanks to the electricity which he says has enabled him put to good use his skills to repair various house hold items. Francine Bayavuge, another beneficiary and a mother of four says, “We are thankful for the project as it is helping us live a more comfortable life.’’ ‘‘When I first heard of the project I thought it would not be possible but now we are in modern houses of our own. “Our children have access to education and they will not drop out of school as it was always the case before. Besides, our health conditions will improve, especially for mothers, who used to find it difficult to get medical care service whenever they were pregnant or during delivery,” she adds According to Jean Dushimire, the Gashaki Sector Executive secretary, the new green village will significantly change lives of beneficiaries. “While on the Island, they used to complain of being in isolation and not having basic infrastructure such as schools, health centres, and had no market facility, which left them financially crippled,’’ he says. He stressed that, as local leaders, having all residents out of the island will help them serve them with ease. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Former Ruhondo islanders say life has changed for the better