The Rwandan community in Ankara, Turkey was joined by Turkish citizens and some friends of Rwanda in a community work activity that was held in Rwanda Park, an area that was designated by Kecioren Municipality to Rwandans in Turkey.
The Rwandan community in Ankara, Turkey was joined by Turkish citizens and some friends of Rwanda in a community work activity that was held in Rwanda Park, an area that was designated by Kecioren Municipality to Rwandans in Turkey.
The Friday activity was attended by officials from Kecioren Municipality led by the Mayor Mustafa AK, foreign students from The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic and Italy who are in Turkey for Erasmus Programme.
The community work was organised by the Rwandan Embassy in Turkey in collaboration with Kecioren Municipality, where about 100 trees were planted in the Park.
Apart from planting new trees, the activity also involved watering of trees that were planted earlier as well as clearing of the park.
In his remarks, Mayor Mustafa AK welcomed Rwanda’s Ambassador to Turkey, Williams Nkurunziza, the Rwandan community and Erasmus students in the Kecioren Municipality.
He thanked Rwandans for the good environmental initiative of planting trees and making Kecioren green.
The mayor noted that every tree planted in this park is an important symbol of partnership between Rwandan community and Kecioren Municipality, and promised to take care of the trees.
He also mentioned that the trees planted by foreign students under Erasmus programme will always be a link between them and Rwandans in Turkey as well as the Municipality. He expressed hope that such activity will later encourage students to visit Turkey and visit the park to check on their trees.
On his part, Ambassador Nkurunziza commended the Mayor and management of Kecioren Municipality for the friendship and collaboration with the Embassy and Rwandan community in general.
He thanked the management of Kecioren Municipality for offering an area, where Rwandans and their friends regularly plant trees and for accepting to name the area Rwanda Park.
This activity is a landmark in the cooperation between the Rwandan community and Kecioren Municipality, he said.
About 40 million trees have so far been planted in Rwanda for the last 10 years since the beginning of the community work in Rwanda, according to the envoy.
Rwandans abroad share this particular practice of community work with their friends, Amb. Nkurunziza said, commending mayor Mustafa for allowing Rwandans to share this practice with their Kecioren friends.
He also thanked the foreign students from Erasmus Programme for joining Rwandan community and friends of Rwanda in this environmental activity.
Kecioren Municipality is located in the North of Ankara with a population slightly over one million, a big number being youth. Turkey is located on two continents, Asia and Europe and currently about 200 Rwandan citizens; mostly students are living in this country.
editorial.co.rw