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

About 420 houses have been constructed for the vulnerable and poor genocide survivors in Nyabihu district and 9 houses are yet to be constructed for those who are still renting and squatters explains Anastase Juru the coordinator of IBUKA in Nyabihu district.

Anastase Juru says that if the 9 houses are constructed and the 100 houses that are in deplorable state can be renovated, the problem of lack of decent accommodation would be completely solved.

Twahirwa Abdoulatif, Mayor of Nyabihu District

Abdoulatif Twahirwa the mayor of Nyabihu district says the 9 houses that need to be constructed will be constructed by the end of the next economic year and even the houses that need to be renovated to solve the accommodation issue of genocide survivors over and done with.

“Compared to where we are coming from, I can proudly say that genocide survivors are moving towards better lifestyles and social welfares’ says the mayor. He went on to say that as the leaders, they will keep on supporting the genocide survivors for them to get better lives, get to development and become self reliant.

In the meeting that convened on Tuesday the 30^th.April.2013, the issues of accommodation houses that need to be renovated were discussed extensively and it was agreed that it will be dealt with the money collected from people as the support for genocide survivors during the Memorial Week.

The 1994 genocide survivors in Gicumbi district still have a problem of accommodation and about 170 houses need reconstruction. This was said by Alexander Mvuyekure The mayor of Gicumbi district on Monday the 15^th.April.2013.

Bosco Kimonyo

“We are working on strategies to provide solutions to the accommodations problems of genocide survivors that include renovating about 170 houses and constructing 22 new houses” said the mayor.

These houses will be renovated on the support of the alms collected from Gicumbi district residents in supporting the genocide survivors trying to curb down the effects of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

Gicumbi district has already collected more than Rwf20 million in the one week of the commemoration period.

Ruvune memorial site in Ruvune sector is already under construction and people whose people, family members, friends and loved ones were laid to rest in this memorial site appreciate the district administration for this project.

Bosco Kimonyo the representative of families with their loved ones laid to rest in Ruvune memorial site appreciated the government for taking care of its people especially genocide survivors.

Leaders laying wreaths of flowers at Ruvune memorial site

He asked people to fight genocide ideologies and make sure genocide does not happen again ever.  He also presented the problems affecting genocide survivors in Ruvune sector especially not getting their properties compensated, unfinished cases and lack of clerks to make their compensation payment possible.

The coordinator of IBUKA in Gicumbi district says commemoration is so important to all Rwandans especially genocide survivors who get hope to move on with life and a better future.

The 1994 genocide against Tutsis vulnerable survivors in Bugesera district decry lack of accommodation and they want the district administration to step in and help them get accommodation before the problem gets worse.

Louis Rwagaju the mayor of Bugesera district

This was discussed during the general assembly of Ibuka in Bugesera district that convened in Nyamata sector on the 3^rd.Jan.2013 when the coordinators of Ibuka in all sectors of Bugesera district presented the big problems affecting genocide survivors who are poor.

One of the big problems that are affecting the genocide survivors is lack of accommodation where some have none, others are in semi built houses and others got destroyed as John Rwikangura the coordinator of Ibuka in Bugesera district explained.

“in 2012, about 96 houses were built which were worth Rwf300 million and in 2013, about 70 houses will be built which will be worth Rwf270million and 54 houses will be remaining to be built plus 476 houses that need to renovated for the problem of accommodation among the needy genocide survivors to be completely solved.

As well as Ibuka, the Bugesera district administration is also concerned by this problem of lack of accommodation for the needy genocide survivors. The district has a plan of building accommodations for these genocide survivors through the district’s economic budget for the economic year 2012/2013 and this is already under the process though local people will participate through community work as Louis Rwagaju the mayor explained.

“In this year 2013, people with no accommodation will get where to stay in the 70 houses under construction, this will move along renovation of the destroyed houses and this is going to be done sooner” the mayor explained.

In this meeting, the problem of genocide survivors who were put in the class of people who are capable of supporting themselves according to Ubudehe social stratification was also discussed. These people were initially supported in FARG in paying for medical insurance need this issue to be reviewed as it is becoming difficult for them to pay for medical insurances.

The mayor advised people with this problem to talk to the committees of justice in the sectors to address their problems.

Amani Bukwiye, Jean Claude Ishimwe and Kwizera

It is evident that since the beginning of the second term holidays, the number of children begging in Huye town has increased.

While most beggars in Huye district are mature people with disabilities and those who made it a habit to wait near the markets place, on street, near junctions and transport agency offices, the number of children is increasing.

Amani Bukwiye, Jean Claude Ishimwe and Kwizera are common beggars in this town and only one of them goes to school.

Kwizera affirms: “Jean Claude Ishimwe and I come from Tumba sector. We do not go to school because our parents have no money for school fees. Because of hunger, we are forced to come on street and beg from good Samaritans.”

Although these children can take home up to Rwf1000 a day, some of them go begging just because they develop bad character and refuse to obey their parents and drop out of school.

Other parents who are poor and have many children send their children to beg for money during the holidays. Others come from broken marriages where parents have misunderstandings and children get affected in turn.

Christine Niwemugeni, Mayor of Huye district in charge of social affairs asserts they are aware of the problem and trying to come up with the solution.

“I am aware of the problem and see them myself. Concerned authorities should set a policy that punishes irresponsible parents. Although we are trying to solve the problem, it is shameful to see young children growing up as beggars,” adds Niwemugeni.

Apart from begging for money to buy food, street children learn bad behavior like drug abuse and robbery.

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.

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.

People who make up the land commission in all districts in Rwanda say that polygamy is one of the reasons that hinder land registration in many districts in the country.

As many people come to register land and even claim rights on certain land and it delays the process as some are even not known in such places.

Eng. Didier Giscard Sagashya the deputy director for the department that is in charge of land and land registering gave an example in Nyamagabe district where 10 women claimed rights on one man’s land saying that they all gave birth to children with him and they all wanted their children to have a rights to this plot of land.

According to the rights of land, a land can be registered on one person but includes all people that have direct influence and rights to it so as to avoid conflicts And injustices.

Sagashya also said that a problem of relatives who don’t trust and misunderstand each other is also a hindrance to land registration and it causes problems of inheritance.

Another problem that has been solved is of islands if which during the regime of Gikoloni, all islands were for the government and not privately owned and it was a problem because many people were settled on them.

It was later solved and lands on islands were registered on people that had settled there and lands from small islands are counted on the government.

The natural forest of Gishwati also caused problems in land registration as they were given to people to settle in long time ago but now it must be turned back to the government.

People who attend Cyizi market in Maraba sector in Huye district are unhappy because this market doesn’t have a public toilet and most of them say that it is much of a problem for them as they use toilets of neighbouring houses

A resident who requested for anonymity said that he is careful not to eat anything before going to the market so as not to need the use of toilet because he knows he can’t find them anywhere near.

And most of them showed concern for the little hygiene in the market without public toilets though the administration of Maraba sector say they plan to build public toilets and they will be through in the five months period.

Innocent Mutangana the executive secretary of Maraba sector said, “We are going to build toilets in the market so we are going to solve the problem of poor hygiene due to lack of toilets and we are sure they will be up and used by the end of five months.”

Cyizi market is near the road and it is attended by residents from different sectors in Huye and Nyamagabe districts.

Police have noted that there cannot be maximum security in the country with the increasing family conflicts at present.

In a statement by Rwanda national Police (RNP) said that though it is its mission to make people living in Rwanda feel safe, involved and reassured, this mission cannot be achieved where family conflicts are becoming a major problem to security and threaten welfare of Rwandan families.

“Police has to play a major role to address these concerns and it requires full participation of the public. As a part of the community, Police is committed to work together with local leaders to resolve this serious problem that exist within the Rwandan social fabric,” states the statement.

The Police called for eradication of domestic and gender based violence for the better living of Rwandan families and said that these crimes violate human rights and are a big challenge to public safety and socio-economic development.

“In most cases the most vulnerable people such as children and women are the victims of such conflicts. They need protection and advocacy from their families as well as us,” they said.

Given the consequences brought about by family conflicts, Police has taken a proactive stance in dealing with the issue.

This has been accomplished through awareness campaigns and calling on the public to give timely information regarding any violent incidence that may arise from family conflicts which helps the Police to intervene at the right time and prevent crime.

Police has also time and again called on families in wrangles to seek arbitration from competent courts or conciliators before their disputes turn into serious criminal activities.

Police is collaborates with other security organs, local authorities, the civil society and the general public to combat domestic and gender based violence. They work hand in hand to deal with family conflict through Community Policing and information sharing.

Police has already established a cordial relationship with the public and there is a growing awareness that community involvement in crime prevention is essential to preserve security and prevent crimes.

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.