Gasabo District has launched construction of an urban community settlement, commonly called model village, where more than 1000 vulnerable households living in high risk zones will be relocated.

The Integrated Development Programme (IDP) urban community settlement will be built in Munini Cell, Gikomero Sector, , where district officials laid a foundation stone on Wednesday.

The district plans to have two model village sites with another site set to be built in Bumbogo Sector.

This is part of government plan to see all 30 districts of the country have an urban community settlement by the end of the next financial year.

The project will be implemented under the rural settlement policy, requiring residents living in rural areas to live in well planned settlements.

Initiated in 2010, the Integrated Development Programme (IDP-model village) is meant to promote proper human settlement in rural areas.

While launching construction works on Wednesday, Vincent Munyeshyaka, the Minister of State for Socio-economic Development, said the policy will help people, especially needy families and Genocide survivors, to live in safe places.

"The first priority goes to vulnerable households to save them from disastrous conditions in high risk zones,” he said.

Pillars of the model villages include roads, four in one houses that maximise land with durable construction materials, water, electricity, market, school, cowsheds and playgrounds.

The Private Sector Federation (PSF) and a number of NGOs are also eager to contribute to the effort.

Fabrice Shema, PSF chairman in Gasabo District, said that the private sector will be contributing to the construction of the model village as they have already collected over Rwf600 millionfor the cause.

He said they are still collecting more funds to make more intervention in relocating vulnerable households to safer areas.

 "The private sector is committed to contribute to implementation of governments’ policies because the needy people are part of the country’s population and we wish to see them live a happy and healthy life in good homes,” he said.

Gasabo IDP model village is a three year-project expected to be completed by the end of year 2018 at the cost of Rwf4 billion.

The construction will be done in two phases with the first phase expected to be completed by May 2017.

During the first phase, at least Rwf2 billion is expected to be spent on upgrading Gikomero Health Centre, and construction of eight classrooms at Groupe Scolaire Gikomero, and homes to accommodate 60 vulnerable families.

In the second phase, an eight-in-one house technique will be applied where a single building will be hosting eight families to maximise space.

The houses set to be built at the model village are worth Rwf35 million each for four-in-one buildings, while eight-in-one units are twice or more the value of a four-in-one building.

The IDP model villages open to all

The houses which are going to be built are reserved for vulnerable households.

However, Mayor Stephen Rwamulangwa said anyone else who wishes to own or build a house at the Model Village in case they meet the Master Plan requirements was welcome.

"This model village is not for only needy families but for the general public for everyone who is ready to build a house that matches the required Master Plan conditions, and I hope they are affordable to build,” he said.

Jean Damascene Munyemana, a resident of Munini Cell where the IDP model village will be built, welcomed the move to relocate them from high risk zones.

"We are very happy to see the government bring such development programme here,” he told The New Times.

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