EASTERN PROVINCE

NGOMA — The civil society has been urged to actively participate in the poverty eradication initiatives in villages.
Bernard Rutayisire, the Ngoma district official in-charge of good governance said this on Wednesday while officially opening a four-day workshop for members of the civil society, at the Umbrella Hotel in Ngoma.

"2008 is ending as we start 2009. You should evaluate what you did and where you went wrong so that 2009 becomes a year of positive results,” he said.

"Rwanda’s past regimes spent years in none developmental activities and you the civil society were chosen partly to change this, by most especially establishing what the residents desire to kick poverty out of their homes. But this can not be achieved unless you get involved,” he added.

The workshop brings together all civil society members in the district, to foster cooperation so that they can speak with one voice.

It also aims at sensitising them to be part of the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) whose main purpose is to jointly implement poverty eradication initiatives in the district.

Thaddeus Karekezi, of the Rwanda Civil Society Platform called on cooperative societies, Non-Governmental Organisations, and religious leaders to take part in all developmental programmes.

"Poverty is ignorance and illiteracy,” he said.  "If we can put our hands together we can change this because there is nothing that can defeat those who are united,” he added.

He called on everyone to advocate for the well being of Rwandans, saying "Where there is no good governance there is no development.”

The workshop was jointly funded by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and DED.

Ends