East African civil society organisations forum, in partnership with government, have started a training of trainers on various issues pertaining the benefits of regional integration.The trainees will then be dispatched to all districts to sensitise and promote awareness campaigns on integration process among the citizens.The sensitisation of nationals on local level will commence in May and run until next year. The trainers are from the ministry of East African Community as well as the secretariat in Arusha.Addressing the participants, the Director of Information, Education and Communication from the Ministry of EAC Affairs, Flavia Sarafina, said for Rwandans to benefit from EAC integration, they must understand thoroughly the process of integration and own it.“You should take this training seriously in order to be at the same level of understanding and transmit the right information about the integration,” she said.Rwandans ahead A survey, conducted by Trade Mark East Africa, last year, showed that at least 73 per cent of Rwandans are aware of the EAC, way above the rates in Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania.Speaking to this paper, Anastase Gakire, one of the participants, said the campaign needs to extend to local levels.“The market is open, meaning that for Rwandans to benefit from it they need to be aware and understand how to exploit it,” he said.Clarisse Bukeyeneza, advisor on civil society dialogue from GIZ, a German cooperation agency that supports the integration, said they will continue supporting the process for the benefit of the community. The training will take four days.Meanwhile, the private sector and civil society health and pharmaceutical experts from the partner states will today convene in Kigali for a two-day event to launch the EA Health Platform (EAHP). The launch, to be presided over by the EAC Deputy Secretary-General for Productive and Social Sectors, Jesca Eriyo, is a culmination of a year-long campaign by the EAC.
