Reconstruction efforts offers hope for earth quake victims

NYAMASHEKE - Hope and a seemingly bright future has returned to residents of Nyamasheke district, who bore the brunt of the deadly earthquake that hit the area two years ago. The affected residents are now saying that the government’s reconstruction efforts has led to the full functioning of social infrastructure and other basic services. Talking to The New Times yesterday, a number of residents said through community participation, the government and other development partners have done a lot to empower the affected local communities. “We have witnessed the re-establishment of basic education and health facilities including standard classroom blocks, modern sanitation and even the construction of our residential houses,” Alphonse Udahemuka, a resident of Gihombo sector, who survived the rage of the earth quake, said. In February 2008, the earthquake hit the western province districts of Rusizi and Nyamasheke. The heavy tremor left hundreds of residents dead while millions worth of property was also destroyed. The Government’s reconstruction efforts brought in assistance from both local and foreign partners. Tulio Mateo, a rehabilitation project coordinator focused on the earthquake victims revealed that part of the assistance led to offering livelihoods to three million orphans and vulnerable children. The project has also enabled local leaders to undergo various supportive training programmes. “After constructing classrooms in 21 schools in the two affected districts, we have now embarked on massive training of community health workers in order to ensure prevention of major killer diseases at community level” he said. Ends