The Rwandan community living in Senegal, on Saturday, August 28, celebrated umuganura, the national and cultural harvest day by visiting children with disabilities in the West African country. At the national level umuganura is celebrated on the first Friday in August. To mark this year’s celebration, the Rwandan community in Senegal raised an equivalent of Rwf3 million to support vulnerable people. The resources were dedicated to supporting children living with disabilities from the Dakar’s Association COLOMBIN, a children’s education centre for the deaf and those with verbal disabilities. The support was given in assorted supplies including foodstuffs, hygiene materials, items to fight against Covid-19, mattresses as well as a certain amount to rehabilitate children’s dormitories. Ibrahima Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Chairperson of the COLOMBIN Association founded in 1997, commended the members of the Rwandan Community in Senegal and affirmed that their support would help the centre solve many problems they are facing. Antoinette Habinshuti, Vice President of the association said that Rwandans living in Senegal have a lot of achievements to celebrate. This year’s umuganura was celebrated under the theme “umuganura, the source of unity and the foundation of learning”, with the intent to foster and propel Rwandan culture of umuganura, the expression of gratitude, in communities abroad. “We are celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year, which give us the opportunity to express generosity by giving back and creating stories of relief and breakthrough in the life of others, Habinshuti remarked. She commended members of the Rwandan community in Senegal for their generosity and urged them to maintain such unity and cooperation in the various programmes of Rwanda. She urged the community to strictly observe Covid-19 prevention measures to break the chain of contamination. “That is the reason for the donation of hygiene materials for prevention and protection against Covid-19 for the children of the centre, she said. The First Counsellor at Rwandas Embassy in Senegal, Guillaume-Serge Nzabonimana told the participants that umuganura is an opportunity for Rwandans to reflect on the positive values of Rwandan culture. Rwandans have to preserve their national culture by educating the young generation on the importance of safeguarding Rwandan cultural heritage, he said. Rwandans wherever they are, he said, have to recognize and be thankful for achievements in various sectors of the economy, efforts of those involved and strategize for increased harvest in the future.
