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

A sixty (60) year elderly man François Xavier Habiyakare, a residence of Tabagwe sector- Nyagatare District is reported to provide milk among his neighbours in a move to join the Government in the war against malnutrition; a social development he is proud of.

The old man was given a cow in local health advisors programme called “Gira inka Mujyanama. According to the cooperative Habiyakare was given an expectant cow that is now giving him about 10 litres of milk a day of which he sells 2 litres and the remaining 8 litres is distributed among the neighbours to fight malnutrition and kwashiorkor among the children.

During the celebration of the achievements of the health advisors of Tabagwe sector on the 31stAug.2012, Habiyakare gave them an example of a woman who recently gave birth in their village and he promised to provide them with one litre of milk per day.

Since this cow is milked 5 litres in the morning and 5 in the night, Habiyakare gives the morning milk to children, who bring grasses to the cow and for the evening and the milk in the evening he sells the 2 litres and remains with 3 litres for his family of 8 members.

He is grateful for this cow for providing good health to his family and his neighbours and he was able to get the 24.000francs to pay for mutuelle de santé medical insurance for all members of his family thanks to this cow.

Apart from improving the social welfare of his family members and his neighbours and being able to pay for the medical insurance of his family, Habiyakare says that this cow has boosted his farming production.

With the manure the cow provides, his production has increased tr4emendously as in the garden he used to get 1sack of maize production, he was able to harvest 5 sacks of maize production this time after using manure. Habiyakare intends to take good care of this cow to make other small projects that can develop him.

The orphans of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi are supposed to develop themselves and fill the gap left by their parents, according to Gonzaga Bizimana, the president of the advisory council for Kamonyi district.

Bizimana was addressing 15 orphans of genocide who are taken care of by different families in Kayumbu sector during the council’s visit in the area.

Visiting these orphans is a yearly act to the district advisory council and which is about to show these orphans that they are not alone and that they will support them through. The council contributed and bought a cow to these children to support the president of the republic in Girinka program.

These 15 children that were visited are raised in 12 families and they were happy saying that it always feels great to be remembered and cared for by their leaders and that it gives them hope.

Pierre Celestin Nsengiyumva the executive secretary of Kayumbu sector thanked this council for giving a cow to one of these orphans as in they intended to give cows to the 6 families by the end of the year in their performing contracts.

The cow was given to Grace Uwamahoro and the remaining 5 children will be given cows by the sector. These children said that they need people to guide them so as to have a better future.

Gerard Habiyambere a man with a wife and 8 children, resident of Hindiro sector in Ngororero District has told Newsmen on 31^st July 2012 that he will give a cow to President Paul Kagame to show his gratitude.

 The man says the President had given him a chance he never had in all of his life when he gave him a cow during his visit to residents of Ngororero district on the 15^th.February.2012.

Habiyambere who had no single animal in his home before he was given by the president now has 3 cows including one that he got from the president and its calf and another one he bought himself after finding out the advantages of rearing cows, 2 sheep and 1 goat.

He followed the advice given by the president speaking on the radio that people should stop living in valleys and live in village settlements so as to get infrastructure services and he got a plot there and with the help of his children and different support build a house in the village settlement.

After being the first one to settle in the village settlement and was had a cow from the president, he got the courage to work hard and he bought another cow, 2 sheep and 1 goat but all is thanks to the president who opened his gate by giving him a chance he had not dreamt of in all his life that is to become a farmer.

Apart from vowing to give the president a cow back, he participates in Girinka program by giving to the neighbors and he goes around sensitizing people to join him in the village settlement so as to get electricity.

The courage he has and his actions got him the favor of his neighbors and he was elected to become the village leader another dream he never had because of his poverty.

People who know him including the administrators of the sector he resides in say that he has plans for a better future and he wants to go with his neighbors along.

Some of the vulnerable families in Muyira sector have been  given cows in a way of helping them fight diseases resulting from  poor diets, the help also aims at providing  manure for boosting farming; the event was on 2^nd August 2012

The cows that were given to people were 31 and were given by those who decided to return a favour to the president of the republic who gave them cows by giving to their neighbours in Girinka program after theirs reproduced.

Marie Igenukwayo who gave a cow to her neighbour said that Girinka program gives people hope to move towards vision 2020 where everyone will be having a cow and no one will be affected by poor eating habits.

“I have given this cow with much happiness and I want my neighbour to have milk for his family and manure for his farming to promote his social welfare.” Marie Igenukwayo explained.

Specoise Mukantabana who resides in Nyundo cell in Muyira sector who was given a cow said “I thank the leaders of this country who always think about their subjects’ development because if it wasn’t like that, I wouldn’t be called a farmer all my life as I do not even have a goat of my own.”

These cows will promote their lives by getting milk, manure for their farms and they were warned not to sell these cows or neglecting them which would be fatal as Clement Gasore the executive secretary of Muyira sector said.

The Administration of Kabgayi Hospital continues to help survivors of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi. Those targeted as priority are poor men and women,  the Hospital has been recently donating cows progressively to survivors in Muhanga District.

Dr. Osee Sebatunzi the director of Kabgayi Hospital said that they decided to help poor genocide survivors because many of them became poor as a result of the effects of genocide that was perpetrated against them.

This hospital gave a cow to a poor old woman and students who survived genocide in Kabgayi Catholic Institute. A student who represented others said that this cow will help change their social welfare especially as most of them are orphans and are usually affected by many problems.

Vital Nyakayiro who had represented Ibuka in this function said that if these actions could be done everywhere in the country would be a solution in forging unity and reconciliation as the survivors’ problems that were caused by fellow Rwandans during the genocide would be solved in one way or the other.

About 40 poor families of genocide survivors and other marginalized communities in Byimana sector- Ruhango District received cows as a support from Bureau Social de development, the contribution was made on 18^th.June.2012.

Mukamana Agnes after getting her cow

These families thanked the President of the Republic Paul Kagame who initiated girinka program to improve the social welfare and the health of Rwandans.

They also said that they are no longer going to be affected by eating poor eating habits as they will get milk and manure to boost their crops production.

“To me it is like a dream, I now have 54 years and apart from me, no single person in my family has ever owned a cow but now I have one” said Leonard Ruyigirana one of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi who was given a cow.

Leonard Ruyigirana

Yohana Mutungirehe a historically marginalized and who was given a cow said that he got a boost to fight poverty he has been leaving in for a very long time. He had been waiting patiently to also be given a cow like others in this program and asked those who are not yet given to wait patiently because they will get them.

One of the marginalized who was given a cow

Prudence Karamira the executive secretary in Bureau Social de development said that they give cows to the poor families but who are able to care and feed them.

Jean Marie Nahayo the executive secretary of Byimana sector warned families who are given cows and sell them and if any one does sell the cow, he/she will be punished accordingly instead asked them to take care of them so that if they multiply they give to their neighbours.

As a way of uplifting residents from poverty, Rwanda Agriculture board have given out  24 cows to residents from 11 sectors out of 12 sectors that make Nyabihu district.

According to Eugene Shingiro, in charge of livestock in the district; Jenda sector got 1 cow, Bigogwe sector got 4 cows, Mukamira 1 cow, Kintobo sector 3, and the remaining seven sectors got two cows each.

Speciose Nkundizanye, a beneficiary resident of Basumba cell, Bigogwe sector is grateful and says that the cow will help him fight poverty and improve the standard of her family.

Beneficiaries assured that they will take good care of the cows so that they give cows to their vulnerable neighbors, and work together towards development.

From June 2011 to May 2012, 576 cows have been given out in Girinka program. Although pledged performance contracts have been implemented, with helping the vulnerable residents exceeding 100 percent, the act is continuing in Nyabihu district.

The historically marginalized in Rusatira sector in Huye district that are in 22 families have been given houses for accommodation and 13 of them provided with domestic animals including cows.

Arsène Kabalisa the executive secretary of Rusatira sector said that apart from the cows which could not be given to all people, the sector administration is going to give all of them pigs to rear. Only one family of these 22 families which is of the Islam will be given a goat instead of a pig.

Kabalisa said, “We looked for the money to buy them pigs now we have it. Some of them have already finished building kraals where to keep these pigs and others are still building them and when they are all done we will take them to Rugogwe market and get them their pigs. We will buy them matured pigs which will have piglets soon so as to get out of poverty quickly.”

Rachel Uwizeyimana a historically marginalized who is a resident in Macunda village in Rusatira sector appreciated the cow she was given and hopes to be provide for herself with the help of her cow in the near future.

“With the pigs that will be given to us soon, I believe I will be able to get school uniform for my brother who is out of the school now and slowly, I will be able to fight against poverty.” She said.

In abid to help them fight poverty, FARG is giving out cows to survivors of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Ngororero.

Senate president giving one of the cows

During the event to give 16 cows, president of the Rwandan Senate Doctor Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo, asked the beneficiaries to give back to the one that gave them through giving heifers to their neighbours.

Ntawukuriryayo emphasized that having a cow means getting milk which in turn means a blessing and wealth. This should bring back hope the beneficiaries lost during genocide.

54 aged Valens Munyangoga from Bwira sector narrated that he last had cows before 1994.

He explained that he had a piglet of his wife’s friend but now Girinka has given him a cow with its young one.

Beneficiaries came from different sectors of Ngororero district because the very poor are considered first in this program.

Kraals were built for the beneficiaries and they were taught how to grow grass for feeding the cattle before they cows were given to them.

Joint Action Development Forums (JADF) has given cows to three poor residents from different sectors (one resident from each sector) in Nyamasheke district.

This was during an event to close an open day organized by JADF (Joint Action Development Forums) in Nyamasheke.

53 aged Ruth Nyiramakuba, a beneficiary mother of seven and married to a cripple husband, thanked JADF for giving her a cow that will change her life.

“I am lucky to have got a cow. I will get manure and till a small garden so that we get food. I have been poor enough to afford factory made manure,” adds Nyiramakuba.

Charles Bahizi, vice mayor in charge of finance and development and JADF Director Nyamasheke highlights “JADF aims at social and economic development of the residents, that is why it gave cows to the poor residents.”

One of the partners of Nyamasheke Innocent Nzeyimana, also PFAM (peace for all ministries) representative discloses that JADF intends to give over 45 more cows to five cooperatives from five sectors.

Nzeyimana confirms that money for buying cows is already on the bank account but the bid to buy them is not yet out for competition.