Rwanda | Nyanza: Making a living out of molding flower pots

A sample of decorated flower gardens

Samuel Ndayisabye of 32 years of age in Kavumu village  Busasamana sector in Nyanza district have for a period of six years survived on decorating flower gardens.

Samuel Ndayisabye confesses to have achieved a lot in life for the past six years he has been doing his work of decorating flower gardens.

“I was very poor in my home area and whenever I could see people doing the things I love, I would be envious and think they were born with them”, Samuel Ndayisabye narrates.

But now my mind set have greatly changed because I can now get whatever I want and I don’t beg from any one.

He managed to develop himself after starting to mold flower pots and sell them to different parts of the country mostly at administrative offices of schools and other stake holders.

There is no skill that does not produce good results when done with care and determination. “Some people used to take me as the most poorest person and could even move away whenever I reached where they are but right now they all come seeking for my help and advice on different issues”, Samuel Ndayisabye remarks.

People used to mistake him to be a thief because of his physical appearance. He had lost hope as he was always in tears and in despair.

Samuel Ndayisabye hopes the vision 2020 to find him when he has achieved tremendous development. He expects vision 2020 to come when he has bought himself a nice car, built a nice house all from his project of decorating flower gardens.

http://itezimbere.com/2012/03/rwanda-nyanza-making-living-molding-flower-pots/

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Rwanda : The NCF-Ngororero sector to radically change family life

The women of National Council of the Women (CNF) of the sector NGORORERO in the district of Ngororero with their colleagues of the FPR INKOTANYI made a commitment to operate radical changes in the life of their deprived partners.

They handed over to the act by fitting out domestic gardens collectively known under the ” akarima k’ igikoni ” naming for some families which had no it.

Their realizations lean on 4 pillars of the Rwandan government to know the economy, social well-being, justice and good governance.

In economy they succeeded in making sensitive the women to group together into cooperatives, to subscribe to the institutions of savings and credits as Umurenge Sacco … For the welfare they made sensitive the women to prepare a well-balanced meal, to fulfill in time with the mutual insurance company of health.

Further, to achieve the family planning, to have a decent housing environment that is a roof which is not grass thatched and a bed with mattress thus without straw.

In justice the couples were made sensitive to live legally by proclaiming officially their marital unions. As examples 80 made sensitive households sealed their legal union in front of the authority of the sector.

Couples proclaiming marital unions

It is thanks to them too that the women became stakeholder in the fight against the violence based on the sex. In the good governance they succeeded in getting down to the activities formerly reserved for the men. For example Uwingabiye Germaine who showed that she built herself a house after her husband had abandoned her so testing severely her.

The vice mayor in charge of social affairs Clotilde Nyiraneza declared the indestructible support of the authorities of the district for the praiseworthy initiatives of the women of the sector of Ngororero while encouraging them to be solutions to their problems without waiting for the support from the outside which often arrives late.

Let us underline that the majority of the couples which proclaimed officially their marital unions is young. For example among 80 couples only one was adult.

http://bahoneza.com/2012/03/rwanda-ncf-ngororero-sector-radically-change-family-life/

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Rwanda : Rwanda hosts second Grow Africa meeting

Kigali, 20 March 2012-Over the last two days the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture hosted the second meeting of the Grow Africa “First Wave” Initiative.

The meeting brought together high ranking officials from the Agriculture Ministries of the seven participating countries. Included in this group were three Agriculture Ministers from Burkina Faso, Tanzania and Kenya.

Diplomatic representatives from the G8 Countries in Kigali, Development Partners and representatives from the AU, NEPAD and World Economic Forum were also in attendance.

The purpose of the meeting was to encourage the World Economic Forum and G8 Summit to support “First Wave” countries as they prepare their investment blueprints.

The meeting also served as preparation for the upcoming Grow Africa Forum meeting in Addis Ababa on 8-9 May 2012 and for an initiative at the G8 Summit on 18-19 May which will focus on food security and agricultural investment.

Initiated at the 2011 World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, and convened jointly by WEF, the African Union Commission and the NEPAD Agency, the Grow Africa Forum has included seven countries as part of its ‘first wave’.

Rwanda was invited by the WEF and the AU to participate in the Grow Africa Forum, a multi-country platform to attract and promote private investment in agriculture. The first meeting of the Grow Africa Forum was held in Dar es Salaam from 7-8 November 2011 and included representatives from “First Wave” countries, alongside private investors and major donors.

The “First Wave” countries include Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Officially opening the meeting, the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, encouraged countries to engage in the strategic shift from public to private-sector led investment as a prerequisite for agriculture transformation and cited Rwanda as an example of success.

“We have managed to generate agricultural growth rates averaging 5percent in the previous five years, and we have achieved food security. This has directly contributed to lifting one million Rwandans out of poverty over this period.

But if we are to generate new jobs and reduce poverty, the sector requires a stable economy and an innovative and active business environment. This is why Rwanda has worked to streamline regulations and make it easier for entrepreneurs to invest in the economy, and why we have been recognised as the fastest global reformer in the World Bank’s Doing Business ratings.”

In respect to the upcoming investment Forum in Addis Ababa on 8-9 May, the “first-wave” Grow Africa countries resolved to accelerate efforts to develop investment blueprints and prepare country delegations for the meeting.

They discussed establishing appropriate institutional mechanism to ensure appropriate investor after care as well as making the necessary reforms for increased private sector investment and job creation in the agriculture sector.

With a view to the upcoming G8 Summit, the “first wave” countries highlighted the need for G8 countries to invest in enabling infrastructure to unlock private sector potential.

The focus on improving inter-regional trade and encouraging companies in G8 countries to engage in the Grow Africa Process was also discussed.

The meeting was hailed as a success by all involved and participants will now continue preparations for the upcoming Grow Africa Forum and the G8 meeting in May.

Rwanda Government was proud to share some of her success in promoting agriculture and provide the forum for participating countries to share ideas and experiences.

http://itezimbere.com/2012/03/rwanda-rwanda-hosts-grow-africa-meeting/

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Rwanda | KIGALI: MORE THAN 16 PASSANGERS SURVIVE ROAD ACCIDENT

 

More than 16 passengers have survived a road car accident at kimisagara-Nyabugogo road. The accident occurred this morning when a commuter Taxi Hiace RAB 035K knocked seriously other two cars.

Jonathan Ntakirutimana who was driving the commuter carrying more than 16 passengers said that to him as a driver knocking other cars was a chance as he managed to save lives of many people.

 ”My car lost breaks and I had no any other option because I would have knocked many pedestrians, I decided to knock them so as to stopthe car which was on high speed,” explained Ntakirutimana.

“This was a great chance to see my passengers survive and helped me out because after knocking the Toyota at the bump and the RAV4 which almost went on top of my car I was caught by the steering which would even kill me but passengers came out and rescued me,” he added.

Ntakirutimana the brave driver however said that despite the decision he took God helped them survive the fatal accident which would have killed them all.

Passengers and eye witnesses thanked the driver saying that his decision was right to save peoples’ lives.

http://rwandatransport.com/2012/03/rwanda-kigali-16-passangers-survive-road-accident/

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Rwanda | Ngororero: Family problems to end soon

Women cooperating to prepare Kitchen gardens

Women of Ngororero district are very much determined to undress obstacles that disrupt development in their families before the month dedicated to women could end.

In partnership with the national body for women, the women of Ngororero sector under their umbrella of R P F met to device means of how they can prepare for their better tomorrow

These women had to do a community work of digging kitchen gardens for several families in Ngororero sector which never had one before they could settle for their meeting. This was in a move to fight malnutrition in families.

What was realized is that not only poor families never had kitchen gardens but also well-off families also never had them which implied poor beliefs instead of poverty.

The vice mayor in charge of social welfare who had also attended the meeting Clothilde Nyiraneza said the only solution to this would be extensive mass sensitization.

The National representative on the women’s council for Ngororero district Dative Uwamwiza said that there was mass sensitization to all families of Ngororero district before the meeting could be organized.

The sensitization produced positive results because over 100 women who were illegally married managed to legally marry with their husbands before the laws at the sector offices.

This will reduce on the domestic violence that have been rampant in these families which have been a rising as a result of not being legally married and seriously affecting women.

Women of Ngororero district set a target of solving much of the problems that exist in their families mostly affecting them and their children.  

http://itezimbere.com/2012/03/rwanda-ngororero-family-problems/

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Rwanda | Gicumbi: Residents urged to eat fruits, vegetables

As a way of promotion good health among residents, Gicumbi district hospital has encouraged people to eat fruits and vegetables so as to prevent malnutrition.

Fruits and vegetables

Most people suffer from malnutrition due to little knowledge on the foods they should eat and how to prepare them.

Dr. Fred Muhairwe revealed to Gicumbi residents March 2012 that if they adopt the culture of eating fruits and vegetables and learn how to prepare balanced diet, malnutrition will be eradicated.

Lack of sleep is one of the effects of malnutrition to the person with it. This can be reversed by taking plenty of fruits, vegetables and red meat which are rich in vitamins that promote good sleep, adds Dr Muhairwe.

Explaining the importance of fruits and vegetables, Dr. Muhairwe says that malnutrition is caused by serotonin reduction in the body due to lack of vitamins.

According to the research, serotonin reduction can be caused by lack of vitamin C, vitamin B6 and mineral salts.

He advises everyone to value the importance of fruits and vegetables in their lives and to eat well balanced diet so as to have health bodies.

http://bahoneza.com/2012/03/rwanda-gicumbi-residents-urged-eat-fruits-vegetables/

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Rwanda : Rwanda to expand fuel storage facilities to 150 million litres

The permanent secretary in the ministry of trade and industry Emmanuel Hategeka revealed that the government is going to increase on its oil storage facilities to combat any oil shortages in the country.

Emmanuel Hategeka trade and industry permanent secretary

“Currently, our storage facilities have a capacity of 30m litres. Under this new policy, we want to upgrade them to 150 million litres by 2017,” Emmanuel Hategeka said.

The government wants to increase on the amount of oil imported to ensure low costs on oil purchase.

Hategeka said the government currently spends a lot of money on purchasing a few littres of oil so there is need to purchase in bulk.

“To manage this situation we will have to set up the oil product law which will set guidelines for the oil trade,” added the Permanent Secretary, saying they were trying to look at all possibilities of a downstream oil policy.

Downstream petroleum operations are mainly categorised into: refining, importation, transportation, processing, supply, storage and distribution, wholesale and retail sale.

In Rwanda, currently, downstream petroleum activities exclude refining and processing of petroleum products.

According to Hategeka, on average, the country consumes 205 million litres of fuel annually with an average consumption of 17-20 million litres per month.

Petroleum liquid fuels imported in 2009 are estimated at 184 million litres – this implies an increase in the litres imported annually.

Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) indicates that the use of petroleum products is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 10.1 per cent.

The Director of Societe Petroliere s.a.r.l, Kv Choudary, said that petroleum dealers have the capacity to import as much fuel as possible but still face a problem of storage.

Although traders want to import much more fuel, transporters claim there are limitations related to weigh bridges and non tariff barriers.

Hategeka, there are eight weigh bridges on the central corridor and 10 on the North corridor, but there are no weigh bridges in Rwanda which makes cargo transportation easier.

“Currently, we are in talks with (the EAC) partner states to see how the weigh bridges can be reduced so as to speed up transportation of goods, including oil,” said Hategeka.

Rwanda utilities regulatory agency (RURA) indicates that the products are mainly used for transportation and more than 80 per cent is consumed as diesel or petrol.

Petroleum products sold at the Rwandan market include white fuels (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, various industrial & auto lubricants, etc.); black fuels (bitumen, black oil, etc.) and other petroleum products such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

 http://itezimbere.com/2012/03/rwanda-rwanda-expand-fuel-storage-facilities-150-million-litres/

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Rwanda: French investigators expelled ahead of genocide memorial

The government of Rwanda, last week expelled a team of French researchers who were in the country to carry out an investigation of the genocide cases of Rwandans living in France who are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide.

Rwanda’s Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga argued that the team didn’t have to do any investigation since the French government has not been particularly cooperative in handling, following up the cases of suspects and done nothing on the cases submitted by the Kigali government.

Rwanda has submitted at least 20 cases that are to be investigated by the French Justice department. Apparently, no trial has been made and some of the cases have been lost and Rwanda has had to re-submit the files, while 18 cases of genocide suspects arrested in France have been released under unknown reasons

Martin Ngoga told journalists in Arusha, that “the French team which had intensions of research has been denied permission to carry out their mission in Rwanda. They can come back later on and work with us, only if they agree to cooperate and perform a good job”.

Ngoga referred to the situation between the two justice departments as ‘very disappointing’ and manner of handling cases of genocide was not appreciated by Rwanda, especially that same team of French investigator was in the country for the 35^th visit and France has sent more investigators to Rwanda than any other country.

This comes at a time when Rwanda is preparing for the 18^th genocide commemoration which kicks off n April 7.

Apparently both governments have been trying to amend their relationship, which broke up two years ago when French government accused Rwanda of genocide crimes

The relationship between the Rwanda and French government may not seem to be good for now especially that nothing has been done by the Paris Government on cases of genocide suspect living in France.

Some of the wanted Genocide fugitives suspected to be living in France: Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana, Callixte Mbarushimana, and Eugene Rwamucyo; among others.

http://uburenganzira.com/2012/03/rwanda-french-investigators-expelled-ahead-of-genocide-memorial/

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