Bahoneza – Kinyarwanda, Rwanda Welfare, Social Welfare, Rwanda People, Nutrition and Diet, Rwanda Habitat, Living in Kigali

The lifestyles of about 68 vulnerable people in Manihira sector in Rutsiro district will change after being given mattresses by VUP on the 24th.Aug.2012 in a way of eradicating poverty.

Recently, this sector was said to have about 156 residents that are more poor than others by VUP project that intends to develop more poor sectors and it gave mattresses to hose people and the 68 remaining were also given on the 24^th.Aug.2012.

Faustin Muhoranyi Nganizi  the executive secretary of Manihira sector asked the people who were given mattresses to take care of the aid they are given but most importantly to strive to live without expecting the aid but to work hard and find solutions to their problems.

VUP project has programs like giving work to capable people and giving them monthly salaries in 2 instalments after every 15 days and it gives supporting aid to the old and children who take care of themselves.

This project also gives credit to weak people who can pay it back with only2percent interest rate.

Some of the widows who received the goats

A group of 58 genocide widows in Rutunga sector, Gasabo District on Tuesday received33 high breed goats courtesy of the Rwanda National Police Hospital.

The widows were also given several agricultural equipments such as watering cans and pesticide containers which they will use to increase agricultural productivity.

All donated items were valued at Rwf 1,130,000 from the contributions from Kacyiru Police Hospital staff members.

Speaking at the event, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Daniel Nyamwasa, the Commandant of Kacyiru Police Hospital said that the donation is part of several other welfare activities Police engages in as an effort to promote improved living conditions of vulnerable Rwandans.

He urged the widows to take good care of donated goats. “These goats are going to reproduce and have an impact in your lives if you take good care of them.

Kacyiru Police Hospital also promised to address psychological problems that were inflicted to some of the survivors of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.

James Nzirimu, the official in charge of advocacy at the National Commission against Genocide (CNLG) lauded theHospital’s contribution towards the welfare of the widows.

Nzirimu urged them to play their role by breeding the goats in a good way so they can have high production which he said would help to solve a number of basic needs.

Expressing her happiness, Sarafina Uwimana commended Police Hospital for supporting them.

People in different groups of the poor, those living with HIV/AIDS and the 1994 genocide against Tutsi survivors in Kamembe Mururu, Gihundwe, Giheke and Nkanka sectors in Rusizi district say that they are in the journey of becoming farmers.

They said this after being given 45 cows by Mission of Hope Rwanda (MOHR) Project on the support of Global Fund to get these people out of poverty as these cows will ensure their development.

Bertha Nyirabihizi a resident of Giheke sector and her fellows who were also given cows said that they will protect and take care of these cows and fight poverty when they are able to promote themselves and they will manage because they were trained about it.

For them it is like a dream come true as they are no longer called the poor but farmers and they are hopeful that they will never be affected by poor eating and their families will be free of malnutrition and they will able to pay their contribution for Mutuelle de santé medical insurance. And they will give their neighbours once these cows reproduce.

According to Scovia NARAME the coordinator of Mission of Hope Rwanda, In Rusizi district said that these cows will be of much importance to these people and their neighbours. The district and sector leaders were asked to make a follow up on these cows and how they are taken care of by the groups they were given.

Oscar Niyonsaba the veterinary doctor of Rusizi district asked those who were given cows to take good care of them as they will take them from one level to the other and he said that with the help of veterinary doctors in sectors, they will keep a close watch on these cows and they were warned about using the normal bulls for reproduction as they give no production.

Apart from giving cows to people, Mission of Rwanda Gave to every group 1.8 million francs to take care of these cows by buying medicine and all necessities while taking care of those cows.

Members of the forum for the blind (Rwanda Union of The Blind) have received cattle from Ngoma District Vice Mayor for social affairs following testimonies that not being understood spoils their opportunities to participate in government programs.

The assistance should be delivered through local authorities, according to the meeting of 24^th.July.2012 in Ngoma district when the forum for the blind met district leaders including sectors’ executive secretaries and the workers of Ngoma district.

As the representatives of this forum explained, they never participated in popular programs like Girinka Munyarwanda because local leaders never considered them saying that they cannot care of cows because they are blind and some who were given cows were taken away again saying they are not capable of rearing cows.

It was shown that blind people can do everything like studying, farming, and work and this was confirmed by the testimonies that were given by blind people who have university education and many people were surprised including Providence Kirenga the vice mayor for social affairs in Ngoma district who said that he never thought a blind person can rear and take care of cattle.

As a sign that he understood that the blind people can do everything including animal husbandry, Providence Kirenga accepted to give goats to each member of the blind association that is newly started in Zaza and Karembo sectors before the end of 2012.

Jacques Mugisha, who is doing his dissertation in the National University of Rwanda in journalism, is blind and gave a discussion about the step the association of the blind Ubumwe and the blind have taken like studying and doing other kind of works. He said that the only thing they are not capable of seeing but they can do everything else.

“We go to school and perform well and some of us studied animal husbandry and we spend 6 months in Masaka center being trained about doing different chores like ironing, making beds and rearing cattle.” Jacques Mugisha explained.

Another blind fellow called William gave a discussion about how the blind participate in competitions like football, other sports and other forms of entertainment. He said that in the limitations they usually meet with is lack of understanding in people which makes them be abused in many things and their rights not being fulfilled like other Rwandans.

The blind people in Rwanda has a forum called Rwanda Union of The Blind (RUB) and they have already achieved many things including advocating for people living with disabilities and caring about the blind by visiting their associations and those in schools.

The first blind person in Rwanda went to the university in 2008.

‘Wikiheba mwana’ centre, literally ‘don’t lose hope child’ situated  in Ngarama sector of Gatsibo District  says that it does not have enough funds to fulfil all responsibilities as the number of children increases.

The president of this centre Mediatrice Mukasharangabo said that in the last 5 years this centre has been operating while receiving and caring for children with mental health problems, 300 children has passed through this centre and 73 children managed to get special support and some are in schools and performing very well.

This centre helps these mentally disabled children to be able to attend schools and study with normal students and those who are in delicate situations are trained in a way that they can get better, they help children with other body disabilities to be  get better and those without some body parts to get prosthesis or thesis  appliances.

Due to the kind of work this centre gets, Mukasharangabo said that it needs self sacrifice and enough funds which is a limitation to them and makes them fail to fulfil their responsibilities.

She gave examples like not getting wheel chairs for handicapped children; people to support these children by taking them to toilets and eating while they are at school, special medical care needed by some children and many other things they cannot provide due to low funds.

People who visit this centre are always surprised by the way children who are brought here are given much care though the centre is needs support.

Some of the children who come here from when they are neglected in their homes manage to perform well in schools. Among 38 children in this centre, 13 attend primary schools and are good performers and 2 are already in secondary schools and they are also doing very well.

Mukasharangabo said that if this centre can get support, it can help many children from different sectors neighbouring Ngarama sector and get hope for the future as some are even treated and get better and stop being thought of problems and not be allowed to interact with other children because of their disabilities like some of the families do instead of treating them as children.

Families which received and took care of orphans of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi have been asked not to use these children’s properties like land and houses for their own benefit in the guise of supporting them. 

This was said by Ndeze Jean Baptiste Kagimbura who represents families that lost their members and loved ones at Rwinkwanvu in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis during the commemoration of health workers and patients at Rwinkwavu hospital.

He said that some families take advantage of being caregivers of genocide orphans and use their properties for their personal gain forgetting the fact that it is what these children will live on in future.

He asked that families that misused the properties of genocide orphans to be followed up and reinstate these properties and asked families that take care of genocide orphans not to do the same mistake of misusing their properties.

This problem mainly affects double orphaned children who are meant to make their own future and the properties they left with by their parents are the only support they have either in paying schools for their siblings and in developing themselves and for daily survival as Kagimbura explained.

Though this problem has already been found in some places, there are no exact numbers of families that did it that is known yet but local leaders were asked to follow up on families that received genocide orphans and find out if those families have ulterior motive behind their kindness.

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Rose Mukantabana

The issue of orphanages has yet again come up after discovering that children in orphanages undergo difficult lives.

The problem was once again highlighted this week during a brainstorming session by Chamber of Deputies.

The standing committee on social affairs had earlier this year presented to the House its findings on a previous study that highlighted the problems affecting orphanages and homes of citizens with special needs countrywide.

The MPs want these children to be adopted by families so that they can get the chance to grow in a family environment and orphanages phased out.

Speaker Rose Mukantabana expressed confusion over why children or the elderly should be left to care about themselves independently.

“The problem of these children was linked with that of the elderly. Why are the country’s children taking care of themselves while we are here? What about those with parents yet they are out on the streets? And, what about these parents who continue to produce children that they cannot ably care for?” the Speaker posed, as she addressed the Assembly.

“The problems include orphanages which take in a higher number of children than they can support. Children in these orphanages have poor standards of living, unqualified staff in orphanages, and orphanages that accept children who actually have parents,” said MP Esperance Mwiza, the Chairperson of the committee.

Zaina Nyiramatama, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Children (NCC), noted that their research indicates that there are 33 recognised orphanages in the country with 3, 153 orphans, 55 percent boys. Nine of the orphanages are in Kigali.

According to reasons for the mounting numbers of homeless children,include the deaths of both parents, death of a mothers, poverty and mental disorders.

She stressed that orphanages are not the ideal place to bring up children as they are deprived of a normal upbringing due to issues that include lack of proper parental care, poor feeding, and normal family love and happiness.

 Vulnerable genocide survivors from five cells that make Kinazi sector have recently received cows from FARG, the aid aims at supporting the victims for development.

Vital Migabo, executive secretary of Kinazi sector told the beneficiaries, “These cows yield close to 15 litres of milk per day if taken good care of. You will get good houses and the rest from cows; just take good care of them.”

Migabo asked the beneficiaries to call veterinarians in case the cows fall sick and to spray twice a week to prevent the cows from ticks.

On this issue, Firipo Ndayisaba head of Ibuka in Kinazi sector expressed: “These cows are the best of what we have already given out, keep them from diseases, ticks and do not sell them.”

The beneficiaries on the other hand promised to give their fellow vulnerable genocide survivors so that they improve their standards of living.

Because beneficiaries are very poor, they were given money as well for building kraals and planting grass for the cows.

When asked if the beneficiaries were the poorest vulnerable genocide survivors in the sectors, Ndayisaba responded saying they were chosen by their fellow residents.

A number of 42 cows have been given to 42 people in Nyabihu district including 21 people from Rugera sector and 21 people from Shyira sectors.

Among those who were given cows include the poor who cannot support themselves and the HIV/AIDS positive.

Alexandre Sahunkuye the vice mayor for social affairs in Nyabihu district asked those who were given cows to take good care of them so as to be able to improve their welfare and that of their families.

He reminded them that they will have to give to their neighbours when these cows give birth to rear another reason to why they have to take good care of these cows.

Eugene Shingiro the veterinary doctor in Nyabihu district said that they will make follow ups on these cows but asked those who were given them to take good care of them any providing to them all necessities which would make them productive.

Like vaccinating them, de-worming them, feeding them, providing hygienic kraals and others. People who were given these cows were very happy and appreciated them. They promised to take good care of them so as to be able to get out of poverty they are in using their produce to improve their health and manure for fertilization.

Rwandan government continues to work on improving social standards, having given cows to 41 vulnerable families in Burera district to fight poverty.

Florence Uwambajemariya, Burera vice Mayor for social affairs on April 14^th 2012 reminded beneficiaries that it’s through Girinka program initiated by President Paul Kagame that they are given the cows, advising them to take good care of them.

“We request you to take good care of the cows so that you get milk, manure and fight malnutrition,” adds Uwambajemariya.

87 aged Celine Nyirabutugugu, a beneficiary resident of Cyanika sector swore to take good care of her cow so that she continues to grow old benefiting from it.

Innocent Ngaruyurwanda from Gitovu sector adds: “I must look after my cow very well so that my children and i do not suffer from malnutrition”.

Florence Uwambajemariya reveals that the cows given to residents on April 14th 2012 closes the last phase of Girinka program according to the orders from Ministry of Agriculture that 150 cows be given to the poor in these sectors.

The 41 beneficiary families are from Cyanika, Gitovu, Rugengabari, Gahunga and Kinoni sectors of Burera district.