The Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), on Friday, March 1, rolled out community development activities under what is dubbed as the "Defence and Security Citizen Outreach Programme 2024", to support the national socio-economic development agenda.
The new citizen outreach programme human security activities, also known as COP Rwanda 2024, are held under the theme: "30 years of Liberation: Defence and Security Organs with the Community partnering for Rwanda's Development."
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In the next three months, RNP, RDF, and partners, will engage in numerous activities aimed at improving the socio-economic well-being of Rwandans. These will include construction of houses for disadvantaged families, connecting houses that are far from the national grid with solar energy, and constructing Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres.
They will also construct bridges linking communities, extend clean water closer to the people, conduct medical outreach activities, donate livestock to families as well as boats to fishing and water transport cooperatives; give financial support to cooperatives’ agents of change such as rehabilitated drug addicts, plant trees and construct terraces to fight soil erosion, as well as do lots of security and hygiene awareness.
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Senior government, defence and security officials presided over the launch of the activities in all provinces and the City of Kigali where residents were commended for their trust and partnership in maintaining the security of the country as a pillar for development.
Since 2010, the Rwanda National Police has engaged in community development activities in what is known as the Police Month. In 2022, RNP spent about Rwf2.5 billion to support community development projects. Community development initiatives worth over Rwf1 billion were also handed over to beneficiaries in 2021.
The RDF has also conducted the annual Army Week since 2009 to contribute to community development.
The citizen outreach programme is in line with the RDF and RNP constitutional mandate to contribute to Rwanda's socio-economic transformation.