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

Rugera sector is one of the 12 sectors that make Nyabihu district in the western province and residents of this sector were given cows by HPI (Heifers Program International) and those cows reproduced and these 32 cows were given to the poor on the 3^rd.Aug.2012.

The 32 cows were given to selected women in vulnerable families in this sector so as to get them out of poverty and to improve the social welfare of their families and to boost their farming through getting manure daily.

Elise Uwonkunda’s family that resides in Kirehe village was given a cow to rear and with much excited with her family members, they are sure that this cow will improve their social welfare and give them manure to boost their farming and give them means to fight poverty.

People who were given cows said it is very important to take their gratitude to the person who initiated Girinka program and HPI project for giving them a chance to own cows and saving their families from malnutrition and poverty. They promised to take good care of these cows and to give to those without once they reproduce.

Angela Mukaminani the vice mayor for finance and economic development in Nyabihu district thanked HPI for giving cows to people which is an objective of Rwanda government to support residents in fighting against poverty. He asked them to protect those cows and to think of their neighbors when they reproduce so as to break the cycle of poverty with the cycle of togetherness.

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.

Ngororero District township, at the market area has recently been blessed with fresh fish harvested from fishing cooperative ponds of Imyumviremyiza in the area.

For people who know much about this district said that this fish harvest is the first time and getting fresh fish is like a dream and this caught many by surprise as they lined at the stand where this cooperative was selling the fish and even caused a commotion.

Though there are many fish ponds in this district for many years they had not produces any fish as those who did fish farming didn’t have experience of caring about fish until the Ministry in charge decided to give these fish ponds to responsible farmers including Imyumviremyiza cooperative.

The first harvest of this cooperative was got from Bwavu fish ponds in Nyange cell in Ngororero sector and the objective of this cooperative is to promote fish farming and to prove wrong people who said that this district cannot produce fish as Jean Nsanzamahoro the president of this cooperative explained.

Jean Nsanzamahoro also said that they brought this fish to market not hoping to sell much and that’s why they sold a Kilogram at 1500 francs but they realized that residents of Ngororero district love fish and they are afraid they might not fulfil their demand.

Though fish that was sold looked like they were harvested when they are still young, this cooperative said that that was their original size and that they were harvested with the help of PAIGELAC (Projet d’Appui a l’Amenegement Integre et a la Gestion des Lacs Interieurs) a project that works with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Fish farming in Ngororero district is done in 3 places including waters of Byuzi and Kazabe, the lake in Gatumba sector and about 100, 000 fish were planted in them all.