Upcountry Insight: Involve residents in community projects

NORTHERN PROVINCE MUSANZE — As Sector leaders prepare to sign their performance contracts with mayors, they should involve residents in community projects for the economic revolution to be achieved. All sector leaders have a lot to show in their intended plans of action, but that call for residents’ stake in identifying their priority areas, if these programs are to succeed. Time factor should be put into account, utilizing available resources within a budget framework approved by the district authorities. Participatory Agronomists, justice committees and opinion leaders should be involved in the decision making on matters of common interest, and help in monitoring performance and evaluation. The economic revolution to achieve its targets should also encourage the use of modern methods of production as an alternative to traditional methods. People in the villages need to be taught how to consolidate their land for extensive agriculture and livestock farming using machines. In Rugarama sector, Burera district, farmers resorted to growing Irish potatoes on large scale, forming cooperatives which buy and sell their products in Ruhengeri and Kigali. This has helped farmers to escape unscrupulous businessmen who used to buy their produce at low prices from individual farmers. It was therefore, not a mistake that Rugarama emerged the best sector in initiating poverty eradication programs for local communities last year. The existing traditional non productive Banana plants will be uprooted and replaced with Irish in Burera; this radical directive serves to change the system of production towards productive ways. Each banana plant not producing a bunch weighing at least 150kg would be regarded non productive. In Kinigi, Musanze, farmers intend to embark on the growing of different crops. Pyrethrum, maize, and Passion fruits would be grown in a rotating manner. Community associations are given non refundable loans from the fund for poverty eradication (Ubudehe mu kuranay ubukene) to carry out productive projects, leaders should make a follow up to ensure the money is not misallocated. The Minister of Local Government, Protais Musoni while addressing members of traditional program-Itorero- recently, said that in order to change economic system, people should be competitive and focus on getting rich quickly. The idea of signing performance contracts should be embedded in everybody’s mind from cell, Umudugudu and family levelsEnds