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

19 years after surviving the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis that shook all the pillars of their lives, they are fine just because they have been striving for self reliance.

This was said by genocide survivors in Burera district who say their remaining problem is their children who finish secondary school but fail to get means to get to the universities.

Fabien Niyonsenga the coordinator of IBUKA in Burera district

Fabien Niyonsenga the coordinator of IBUKA in Burera district says for Rwanda to stand against and fight the effects of genocide that was perpetrated against Tutsi in 1994 permanently, it needs to prepare the youth.

Most of the genocide survivors’ youth in this district finish secondary schools and those who fail to get the government pass mark for the scholarship fail to get means for higher education. “We need support for the education of our youth who cannot provide for themselves for them to be able to compete on international job markets with other Rwandans.”

Samuel Sembagare the mayor of Burera district promised the district’s continuous support to survivors of 1994 genocide against Tutsis in any possible way. He asked genocide survivors to be strong while commemorating striving to be self reliant.

Some genocide survivors in Icyizere village settlement in Kamonyi district have showed their dissatisfaction about being included in the middle class when they are very poor.

This comes after 1994 Tutsi genocide survivors in Nyarusange village, Karengera cell, Musambira sector in Kamonyi district were not included on the list to get free medical insurance when they are poor to pay for themselves.

Icyizere village has 28 houses built by Rwanda Red Cross in 1997 for the 1994 Tutsi genocide orphans and widows from Nyarubaka sector and other cells of Musambira sector.

Genocide survivors complain that during the meeting to group residents, they were put in 2^nd class of poor people but declined to see their names on the final list yet some of them are disabled in need of help.

Others are worried over the fact that they were included in the 3^rd class where their children might not be able to have university education.

Hassan Shyaka, Nyarusange village leader reveals that a mistake was made on the lists at district level because the original list was handwritten when the final one was typed.

Shyaka explains: “On the list made by residents, these genocide survivors were included in class 2 but the list from the district had some in class 3 and others 4.”

Hassan Shyaka, a committee member in Ibuka (umbrella organization for the genocide survivors in Rwanda) on sector level promises genocide survivors that the mistakes will be corrected next year.

In this trying period when Rwandans are commemorating the atrocities committed to them and their loved ones in 1994 genocide against Tutsis, Local Defence security personnel were asked to be more vigil in keeping the people’s security.

The local defences force personnel

 Rwanda has many enemies especially in neighbouring countries who would like to hurt the scars of the Rwandans rub to their faces how hurt they were during the 11994 genocide against the Tutsis.

Local Defences personnel were told this during the security meeting that brought them together with General Charles Karamba the army commander in Rusizi and Nyamasheke district.

He advised the security personnel to improve their working relationships with other security councils in the district as well as doing vigilante patrols.

General Charles Karamba addressing Local Defence Forces

Marcel Habyarimana the vice mayor for fiancé and economic development in Rusizi district asked Local Defence Forces to fulfil their responsibility of maintaining the security of the country especially in this period.

He also asked local defence personnel to be patriotic, to avoid violence in their work citing example of Local Defences’ personnel in Mururu sector who moved away from their responsibilities and were replaced by Inkeragutabara (reserved forces) security.

Though the Local Defence forces are keen on doing well their work of protecting people and their properties, they have limitations in their work especially lack of uniforms, lack of work identification cards and too little their salary as Theogene Habimana explained.

Local Defence personnel were also to keep the security of Genocide Memorial Sites and to work well with sector to ensure people and their properties security. 

Mu ijambo uhagarariye abacitse ku icumu mu Karere ka Huye yagejeje ku bari bitabiriye igikorwa cyo gutangiza icyunamo i Kinazi ho mu Karere ka Huye, yagaragaje ko hari intambwe bamaze gutera mu kwigira, ariko hakaba hari abagikeneye gufashwa kugira ngo babigereho neza.

Jean Pierre Nsabimana, ari we uhagarariye abacitse ku icumu mu Karere ka Huye, yateruye agira ati “Akarere ka Huye karimo abacitse ku icumu bagera ku bihumbi 18. Abenshi muri bo bafashijwe kwiga, abandi babona n’imirimo. Iyi ni intambwe ya mbere yo kwigira twafashijwemo n’ubuyobozi bw’igihugu cyacu.”

Yunzemo agira ati “ariko, kuba haboneka abantu benshi bahahamuka, harimo n’abana batoya bavutse nyuma ya jenoside, iki ni ikibazo tubona gikwiye kwitabwaho, kuko nta watera imbere ahungabana.”

Kuba abangije imitungo muri jenoside batishyura na byo ni imbogamizi ku kwigira. Nsabimana ati “Turacyafite abantu bangirijwe imitungo mu gihe cya jenoside, bagisiragira bajya kwishyuza. Abantu bacu barasiragira, bagasiragira… Kwishyurwa bibaye byarangiye mu mwaka utaha wa 2014, byadufasha.”

Nsabimana kandi yashimiye aboroje abacitse ku icumu mu mwaka ushize wa 2012 agira ati “ndashimira abaduhaye inka mu mwaka ushize, nk’ibitaro bya Kabutare, abasenateri, n’abandi. Abazihawe ubu zarabyaye. Nta mwana w’uwacitse ku icumu urwaye bwaki. N’uyu mwaka muzongere mudufashe, inkunga yanyu irakenewe.”

Abakecuru b’incike baracyakeneye kwitabwaho. Hari n’abacitse ku icumu batarabona amacumbi. Nsabimana ati “Kwigira byo ni byo, ariko turacyakeneye abatuba hafi, abadutera inkunga. Ubushobozi bwo burahari, kuko abantu barahari, kandi iyo abantu bahari, n’ubushobozi buraboneka.” Ahangaha, Nsabimana atanga urugero ku kigega agaciro.

Ku bijyanye n’ihungabana, Depite Kayitare Innocent na we wari witabiriye igikorwa cyo gutangiza icyunamo mu Murenge wa Kinazi, yavuze ko umwe mu miti ku kibazo cy’ihungabana ari ukuba hafi abacitse ku icumu.

Yagize ati “twese tugire ubumuntu, abantu twumve ko ari  abacu. Niba uturanye n’umuntu, rwose ube wamufasha. Nk’umukecuru utifashije, nta n’icyo akwatse, n’iyo wajya kumuganiriza, umwana muto akaba yajya kumuvomera, ibyo ni ubumuntu abantu baba bakwiye kugarukaho. Kuko umuntu nk’uwonguwo, iyo umukoreye ikintu cyiza, kirafata.”

Depite Kayitare kandi yagarutse ku kwigira kw’aborozwa inka, agaragaza ko bakwiye gufashwa kugira ngo zibashe gutanga umusaruro ufatika. Yagize ati “ Ikibabaje nabonye, ni uko abakecuru bahawe inka za frizone ugasanga irakamwa amalitiro nk’abiri, kandi ifashwe neza, ndumva ikamwa amalitiro nka 30. Bafashwe ku kwita ku ri izi nka kugira ngo umukamo ubashe kwiyongera.”

Residents of Kivugiza village, Gishubi sector in Gisagara district have revealed that they embarked on building the village offices to improve on the service delivery.

Gishubi is one of the poorest sectors in Gisagara district but is moving so fast in development activities such as setting up infrastructures in addition to residents changing mindsets.

20 villages out of 48 are setting up administration offices after sensitizing residents on the importance of having their own offices.

Eugene Kuyavuga, Kivugiza village leader asserts that with the administration house, they will offer better services this time since they have been serving residents from open air.

“We have been working in open air without a place to keep materials like registers and a place to run from scorching sunshine or rain whenever we hold a meeting.” he explains.

The executive secretary of Gishubi sector, Moise Ndungutse commends the residents for taking a step to solve such a problem that had brought corruption in service delivery.

“This act is so important and will improve customer care since there has been corruption due to working from unidentified places,” he adds.

In addition to other infrastructures springing up in Gishubi sector, Tunga TV was recently introduced in this place.

Abashinzwe gukorera ubuvugizi abafite ubumuga bwo kutabona ku rwego rw’igihugu barasaba abayobozi b’inzego zitandukanye ku rwego rw’Akarere ka Nyagatare kujya baha abafite ubumuga bwo kutabona uburenganzira nk’ubuhabwa abandi Banyarwanda bose.

Nkurunziza François, umwe mu bashinzwe gukorera ubuvugizi abafite ubumuga bwo kutabona, avuga ko icyabateye kuza kuganira n’abakozi b’Akarere ka Nyagatare ari ukugira ngo babasabe gukorera abafite ubumuga bwo kutabona ibikorerwa undi Munyarwanda wese haba mu burezi no mu buzima bityo babafate nk’abandi bantu.

Ingabire Sévelin, na we watanze ikiganiro, avuga ko bimwe mu bibazo abafite ubumuga bwo kutabona bahura nabyo harimo imyimvire ikiri hasi bamwe mu Banyarwanda babafiteho bakaba batababona kimwe n’abandi bantu. Ikindi ngo ni uko mu gihe mu Rwanda havugwa uburezi kuri bose bikaba byaratumye hanongerwa amashuri kuri ubu ngo hari ishuri rimwe rukumbi ryigisha abafite ubumuga bwo kutabona.

Umuryango nyarwanda w’ abafite ubumuga bwo kutabona watangiye mu mwaka w’1994 uhabwa ubuzima gatozi mu mwaka w’1995. Kugeza ubu ngo ukaba ufite amashyirahamwe abarirwa muri mirongo ine n’umunani ari hirya no hino mu turere tugize iki gihugu. Mu y’Uburasirazuba yonyine ngo hakaba habarwa agera muri cumi n’atanu.

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.

In most slaughter houses and butchers of Kigali city and other districts, butcher men wear white boots and overalls, but Ngororero District has been found to ignore the principle

In Ngororero, meat sellers wear their usual cloth and some go to an extent of doing other activities or go to bars after leaving slaughter houses, in blood stained clothes.

On the side of butcher men, they say it’s because of temporary employment since their employers change employees almost every day.

However, they believe having a uniform helps them get identified from idlers who can also walk around in dirty clothes.

Oswald Rukundo, meat seller in Ngororero district confirms that they were told to have uniforms but, they are waiting until they start working in a slaughter house that has been built in Ngororero.

On why the slaughter house has not opened yet, Ngororero district authorities say that contractor Felix Nyirishema, who built the it (slaughter house), has not yet presented it to the authorities.

While the livestock sellers wear the uniforms when they do not slaughter, residents are left wondering if not having a modern slaughter house means breaking the law.

Consumers of soft drinks in Ruhango town have expressed discontentment over unexpected inflated prices for sodas in the country.

Rwanda Breweries (BRALIRWA) recently announced a slight rise in prices for sodas made by the Coca cola Company from 250 to 300Rwf.  When asked about this, the management of BRALIRWA explained that the production cost of the beverages and transport expenses have gone high too.

Although a few consumers find the 50Rwf rise not that much, most consumers (middle class) blame BRALIRWA because even the former price was not that favorable.

One local consumer Gasasira, warns that the new price will cause misunderstanding between consumer and manufacturer. “I do not see how a 300ml soda can cost 300Rwf, this is exaggeration” he said.

In some pubs consumers do not find it a problem though the situation is said to have favored other drinks like petit primus. “Some of our customers are opting for petit primus because they have slight price difference” a bartender said.