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

Residents of Cyenkwanzi cell in Karama sector of Nyagatare District have spent over fifteen years using dirty black swamp water in all their daily activities, a reason that pushes them to cry for aid.   

Area residents narrate that they last used tap water before the year 2000 when pipes were in use, but when they got spoiled nobody repaired them for us.

Uwimana, Cyenkwanzi cell resident says: “We use this dirty water from the swamp in cooking, washing, bathing and drinking.”

To make matters worse, you find children fetching water on one side while others are swimming on the other side.

While residents say they tried to repair the pipes themselves but later failed due to insufficient funds, Cyenkwanzi cell leadership assures the residents that advocacy has been made and the problem will soon be resolved.

Astherie Nyiraneza, Assistant leader of Cyenkwanzi cell in charge of social affairs asserts: “We did not keep quiet to this problem; we constantly report it to our higher authorities who assures us it will be over in no time.”

Apart from dirty swamp water, fetching it from far is a problem as well.

John Mugabo says: “Our children wake up very early to go fetching in the swamp before going to school. Mosquitoes bite them in addition to coldness which might cause them malaria.”

There are four water taps in Cyenkwanzi cell but because the pipes are destroyed, taps have no use.

While many residents have been making kitchen gardens out of polythene papers, some have advanced methods of using bricks and cement to make good looking and durable gardens.

Emmanuel Kaburame, a resident of Mubuga cell, Musaza sector says that akarima k’igikoni is very important to residents but sometimes they get destroyed because of poor quality materials used.

Emmanuel Kaburame, who used bricks, sand and cement, asserts that his kitchen garden is like a decorative piece with different vegetable types in his home.

The most common vegetables grown in akarima k’igikoni are cabbages, greens, carrots among others.

Using bricks is beneficial in a way that bricks keep the soil cold for the better growth of the vegetables unlike using stones that keep warmth, which makes them dry if it shines.

Akarima k’igikoni became a necessity of every home because it helps in fighting malnutrition.

In order to improve living standards amongst themselves, residents of Gashorera cell, Nyabinoni sector in Muhanga district formed “Dutureheza” Association.

The aim of the association is to build for fellow members who cannot afford on their own. Dutureheza Association members say they are ready to shift to the village settlement because the association will help them achieve it.

However, some of them face the problem of not having plots in the village settlements, and getting a plot of land in the village is very expensive.

Members claim that plot owners ask for a lot of money or big compensation for their piece of lands.

Leonidas Nkerabigwi, in charge of social affairs and development in Gashorera cell says that measures were taken to solve the problem of residents who demand high amount of money for their lands.

Land was at Rwf50000 before but it was increased to Rwf70000.The plot owner accepts this amount or is given another plot outside the village which is equivalent to his plot.

While the residents are happy about the fair purchase of the land, those who own land in proposed village settlements say that authorities should leave the two parties to reach an agreement.

Out of 40 members of “Dutureheza Association”, only 25 members have no houses in the village settlement and out of 720 homes that make Gashorera cell, 350 homes live outside village settlement.

However, it is hoped that every home will secure a plot in the village within a short period of time.

Families that had been settled in Mucucu village in Kayonza district will be shifted in June, Claude Murekezi; executive secretary of Murundi sector has revealed.

Mucucu village is partly a forest that share boundaries with Akagera Park. Residents in this place live in 10 kilometers away from others and a school and a hospital are 15 kilometers away.

According to the authorities, the plan to shift residents to Ryamanyoni cell in Murundi sector, was decided on in February 2012 but it was delayed by the residents who refused the place they were about to be taken to.

“Ryamanyoni is on the rock; we can’t cultivate or dig latrines there. How were we supposed to live in that place,” Mucucu residents narrated to Eastern province governor Odette Uwamariya.

However, Claude Murekezi asserts that residents have been given lands in Buhabwa cell which they like, and its planned that shifting will be done before the end of June.

Out of 60 families that live in Mucucu village, only 18 families were settled there officially. Other 42 homes came by themselves without the permission from the concerned authorities, explains Murekezi.

Murundi sector administration confirms that families that have been in Mucucu on permission are the only ones to be shifted to a better place. The rest will go back to where they came from.

Kirehe District based Club namely “Tuseme club” has fought against poor eating habits in Gasarambwayi cell in Musaza sector through kitchen gardens for the residents and making people understand the importance of these gardens.

Vincent de Paul the executive secretary of Gasarambwayi cell said that now people understand the importance of the garden kitchen and thanks to Tuseme club which sensitized people about them and built for those who didn’t have them.

He went on to say that with the help of health advisors, Tuseme club taught people on how to make a nutritious meal in a way of fighting poor eating habits in this cell.

Vincent de Paul said that there were about 23 children who were suffering from malnutrition but because of Tuseme club and health advisors who taught people on how to prepare well a meal, these children are well and there is no more malnutrition in this cell.

He said that they have goats which are milked for these children so as to feed them well. The district gave financial support to Tuseme club with Rwf500, 000 so as to continue fighting against poor eating habits in Musaza sector.

Residents of Rulindo district -Musenyi sector have asked the administration to give them the iron sheets promised to them for roofing the cell offices.

Due to the increased rent on the house where the cell administration operates from, residents together with their leaders decided to contribute money and start building in June last year 2011.

However, building stopped after three months because of financial crisis. Since then, the building just stands without a roof which might fall due to much rain on the unfired blocks, residents say.

Advisory committee president for Rulindo Jean Baptiste Byangamanywa discloses that if the house is not roofed soon, rainy season might destroy the building.

“I request that the district authorities give us roofing materials they promised us; if not so the residents’ efforts will be wasted,” Byangamanywa says.

Executive secretary for Musenyi sector Oscar Murwanashyaka confirms that if the district gives 74 iron sheets promised, the sector will provide the rest.

Bugesera district mayor Louis Rwagaju adds that the iron sheets promised will be available within a week and thanked the residents for their commitment in building their administration offices.

Rulindo cell offices are operating in one of the houses in Rumuna trading centre rented at Rwf5000 per month.

Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) has asked Muhanga district administration in Southern Province to help extend infrastructure to places where houses for poor residents are being built.

REMA workers are to put water collecting tunnels and water tanks to the houses that will be built so that rain water collected can be used in this big village.

Alexis Mulisa, REMA worker adds that they plan to collect water, purify it so that residents use clean water.

“This water will gather residents because they will be fetching it from water sources but we ask the local leadership to help prevent any family conflicts,” asserts Mulisa

Other projects REMA plans to extend to this place include Biogas. It has decided to give cows to the residents to help them use biogas. Residues from biogas will be used in mulching terraces.

Local leadership notes that a way will be paved to form these residents into cooperatives such as a cooperative that makes roof tiles so that residents get roof tiles at cheap prices.

Residents that are piled in Muvumba cell of Nyabiboni sector will be shifted to the village settlement of Buyebe, Ruhango cell, Rongi sector in Muhanga district.

Residents that formerly occupied Gishwati forest are settled in this village.

Cell leaders of Rusizi district gathered at the district headquarters to sign contracts against poor feeding with the district Mayor, according to the meeting of 19^th March2012.

The signed terms state that by June 2012 no sign of malnutrition should still be available in any part of Rusizi district.

Rusizi district Mayor Oscar Nzeyimana said that “Rusizi district has 1.81% malnourished children. To solve this, all cell leaders should sensitize citizens about good nutrition, proper farming and rearing of animals.”

“There is a great need to achieve the set targets; therefore all stakeholders should get involved in improving nutrition standards of Rwanda’s children.” Add the district mayor

Emmanuel Ndamuzeye a district worker in charge of health, the signed contracts are meant to devise means of eliminating malnutrition once and for all.

Leatitia Uwamariya -leader of Rebero cell in Nzahaha Sector says that in order to fight against malnutrition they have weekly nutrition studies which she says are to be offered 2 times a week.

Following nationwide statistics, Kicukiro district was said to be the district with least number of malnourished children with a 0.66percent however Rubavu district came up with the worst statistics as the district with most malnourished children at about 3percent.

The club ‘Twubake u Rwanda’ is a youth group that was formed in 2006 in Buvumo cell Mukura sector Huye district with the aim of passing on messages that concern peace, unity and reconciliation.

The president of this club Celestin Nsengiyumva was addressing the crowd of youth who had gathered at Irango play ground in February of 2012 to watch the football match between the villages of Buvumo cell said, “We are the strength of this nation and we are the future leaders. We cannot strive for peace when we do not have good health and there cannot be peace when we are hungry”.

Nsengiyumva message was aimed at encouraging the youth to work hard for national development and endeavour to strive for peace.

The club ‘Twubake u Rwanda’ passes on its massages of peace, unity and cooperation through various means like songs, drama, poems, sports, videos and many others.

The club ‘Twubake u Rwanda’ creates their own songs and plays which are documented and put of CDs and tapes then dispersed to various radio stations so that their messages can reach to the intended audiences. The club so far have done 36 songs 6 of which are already on CDs and being aired on various radio stations.

The club intends to start staging concerts whereby people will be paying money to attend those concerts so that the club can benefit and get a source of income to develop it.

The club ‘Twubake u Rwanda’ was set up way back in 2006 when local courts intended for settling genocide cases (Gacaca courts) started working. The club helped people to understand the importance of these ‘Gacaca courts’ through their reconciliation messages.

‘Twubake u Rwanda club’ is made up of 32 members and is being supported by IREX in form of materials to use and AMI that supports them with ideas.

In abid to solve the problem of malnutrition, a special program of giving children milk once in a week has been introduced in Rusizi district.

In this program, homes with cows will be giving milk to the children from homes that have no cows.

Some of the participants in the campaign

Francoise Nirere, Vice mayor in charge of social affairs in the district says that this program aims at eradicating malnutrition that brings diseases

“There is a plan to give children milk every week in every cell. Homes with cows will be giving milk to children from poor homes This will stop diseases like malnutrition,” adds Nirere.

On February 27^th 2012 during the meeting that gathered health centre directors, leaders in charge of social affairs in cells, community health workers representatives and a nutritionist, a decision was reached to add more effort in malnutrition classes.

The malnutrition lessons takes place in every cell with an aim of teaching parents how to prepare balanced diet in order to fight malnutrition in children.

Pelouse Niyigarura, a health worker in Bweyeye sector in Rusizi confirms this saying that some children are still suffering from malnutrition in different parts of Rwanda.

“Out of two thousand four hundred and eighty one children we have tested in the beginning of this year, fifty six are malnourished,” adds Niyigarura

Among the reasons that cause malnutrition in children are parents who are poor and do not have variety of foods and others have food but do not know how to prepare balanced diets.