“UMUTAKWASUKU” is a newly launched arts exhibition that rallies Rwandan residents, particularly housewives and the family at large to ensure maximum sanity and hygiene in their households. Needless to say, the initiative also aims at curbing diarrheal diseases which are a result of lack of enough hygiene. Set up at the Kigali Public Library in Kacyiru, the public exhibition is made up of photos taken throughout different corners of the country in the year 2020, including homegrown solutions to have clean homes and toilets. On each painting, the character talks about their dos and don’ts to ensure their homes are safe, and they stress how domestic hygiene is a big investment in one’s life. Set to close on November 7, the exhibition also covers different cleaners on roads, houses as well as toilets and their hurdles even if their job is mostly neglected. Bernie Chaves, the country director of SNV, the Netherlands Development Organisation which is the brain behind this initiative, highlighted that the exhibition aims at reviving the role of hygienic homes among the Rwandan population. “Since we stepped in Rwanda, we’ve been focusing on water and sanitation, we’ve spread that message through many calls, but particularly through arts, we believe that the message will reach a wider audience, and remind the people that a smaller change can make a greater impact,” he said. “Our life is based on health and hygiene, so when you talk health, you need to talk about sanitation”. The Managing Director of SNV, Megan Ritchie also echoed in his views, saying that a collective action is needed to address diarrheal and other diseases resulting from low hygiene which are taking away lives, because they are easily transmissible. “You will never be safe when your neighbor is suffering from cholera or other diarrheal diseases, that is why we all need to stand up and fight these diseases caused by low hygiene, “she rallied the attendants. Reports indicate that over 2 billion people do not have safe and clean water whereas 3.6 billion do not have access to sanitation services.
