Rwanda : NUR in community service drive

NUR students during the community week

The National University of Rwanda (NUR) has launched the NUR Community week in Huye District’s Mucunda Village situated in Rusatira Sector. This is the first community based initiative that the oldest University in Rwanda has taken in its history.
During week dedicated to community service, NUR community in partnership with Huye District will carry out various activities geared towards the development of Mucunda Village.
The village is one of the new settlements housing families were previously residing in grass thatched houses commonly known as nyakatsi, Genocide survivors and the unprivileged.
In his address, the Mayor of Huye District Eugene Kayiranga Muzuka expressed gratitude to NUR community for contributing to the development of Huye District. He noted that through existing good relationship between the district and the university, they have been able to achieve a lot.
“It’s significant that NUR students together with their lecturers are linking knowledge with practices which resolve population problems in development,” said the Mayor. Adding that when students come here in villages and build houses for poor people, constructing cowsheds for the village, it shows that students are thinking about the people and are willing to play a role in their empowerment.
In his speech, the NUR vice rector for Administration and Finance Dr. Desire Ndushabandi said: “We are willing and ready to help Mucunda village development as academicians, our specialty is technical support. In this perspective, we would like to request you to come up with development projects of your priority so that we may be able to join forces as partners in the development of this area.”
Gaudence Karuyonga 73, as a beneficiary said: “The house was about to fall on me but NUR students came and repaired it. I am overjoyed and take this opportunity to thank these students. Although I am old this is going to improve my life.”
The week’s activities will include; rehabilitation of roads and green space, construction of houses, kitchens, bathrooms, toilets, construction of one Volleyball ground for Buhimba Secondary School, Mucunda Village and the surrounding areas and a common cowshed for the Village among other many activities.
http://ubumenyi.com/2012/05/rwanda-nur-community-service-drive/