Disaster ministry, youth cooperatives to form partnership

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (Midimar) will, with effect from next month, start working with youth cooperatives in various districts, especially those in the field of tile making, to generate materials for the ministry. Officials from Midimar said although the initiative will create more jobs for the youth, it is also aimed at cutting the cost the ministry has been incurring in buying iron sheets.“We realised that by working with youth cooperatives, we shall be able to save a lot of money as it has been too expensive to buy iron sheets, especially after disasters,” said Fred Ntawukuriryayo, the Midimar communication officer. He was speaking in Kigali at a two-day training of journalists that aimed at building their capacity to report about disasters. Ntawukuriryayo said so far, 15 cooperatives have been identified in Rwamagana, Bugesera, Rusizi and Nyagatare districts. “More cooperatives will be identified and this will help in making sure that they get ready market for their products,” he said, arguing that unlike the iron sheets, tiles are durable. The Midimar Director of Research and Public Awareness, Jean Baptiste Nsengiyumva, said the initiative was made possible with the help of the Ministry of Local Government, which is giving out tile making machines to the youth. Nsengiyumva said the cooperation would help fight unemployment among the youth as there will be ready market for their tiles.

National

Disaster ministry, youth cooperatives to form partnership