Gatsibo residents face water scarcity

A research conducted by the Public Policy Information Monitoring and Advocacy (PPIMA), has indicated that many Gatsibo residents lack access to clean water. This was revealed on Tuesday, during a consultative meeting between PPIMA officials and local leaders at the district. The project is financed by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in collaboration with the Rwanda Women Network and AJPRODHO, a youth association engaged in human rights promotion and development. Presenting the report, Andrew Kalimba, the PPIMA project coordinator said that the assessment was carried out in six sectors of the district. “Our research was mainly community-centred. We consulted residents and their most pressing issue was lack of access to clean water. Some claimed that they walk long journeys to get clean water,” he said. The study also revealed training needs in new modern farming techniques, hygiene and sanitation. The district vice mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development, Isaie Habarurema, admitted that most parts of the district have no access to clean water. “It’s an opportunity for us to have a development partner like PPIMA that helps us in addressing issues we face in the district. We also knew of these issues and measures are in place to solve them,” he said. “We have old water pipes across the district that need to be repaired. We are looking for ways of solving it.” Ends