Communities Can Be Developed without Government Funds – Rwandan Envoy

An official of the Rwandan High Commission in Nigeria, Mr Protogene Nsengumuremyi, says communities in the country can be developed without depending on the Federal Government for funds.

Nsengumuremyi, who is Charge d’Affaires at the high commission, said that such culture existed in Rwanda and had help in opening up the rural areas and in greater development of many communities.

Nsengumuremyi made this known on Saturday at the “Umuganda Sanitation’’ organised by the Rwanda High Commission at the National Stadium, Abuja.

According to him, the exercise was launched in Nigeria in 2016 and it is an activity popularly practiced in Rwanda to foster solidarity and societal development in communities.

“Umuganda means collective manual work. It is carried out by members of a community whereby they perform an activity to solve problems affecting some or all members of that community.

“The activity is taken very seriously in Rwanda by all cultures and regions of the country because it develops communities without having to depend on the government for funds.

“It involves people coming together to participate in manual functions that can help the community and it may involve activities like clearing of bushes in an area and building blocks to build a school and more.

“We have instances where people also contribute money to assist with building projects or with purchasing books for schools or medications and machineries for hospitals or clinics.

“It has contributed immensely to the development of Rwanda, and we the Rwandans in Nigeria want to continue this practice with Nigerians,” he said.

Nsengumuremyi said that the first edition of “Umuganda’’ was organised in partnership with Abuja Tennis Club and Rwandan community and was supported by more than 200 Abuja residents.

He added that the “sanitation“ was currently focused on improving the tennis section of the national stadium and that the activities would hold on the last Saturday of every month.

“The first edition of the activity held on Jan. 28, 2017 and this is the second edition.

“We are currently focusing on improving the stadium, especially the tennis section but as time goes on we will branch out to other communities and projects,” he said.