The staff members of Energy Resources Group Limited a company that deals with creating innovative energy solutions were last week joined by Kamonyi District officials, the representative from the army and residents to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

On Thursday 24th May 2018, ERG staff visited families of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis residing in Bimba village, Runda sector in kamonyi District.

The visit was part of the 24th commemoration activities combined with social corporate responsibility done by the company after it provided electricity to ten families of genocide survivors in Runda sector.

When the killings started, many Tutsi in the region got dispersed all over the country. Later, the Government through FARG built houses for the survivors in Bimba village in Kamonyi District.

While addressing those that attended the ceremony, Serge Kajeguhakwa the Chairman/CEO of ER Group said that they had not only come to join residents to remember brothers, sisters, parents and friends who perished in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis but also to give hope to the survivors.

"Rwanda is for all of us and whatever happened in the past will never happen again thanks to the good Government that is committed to fight Genocide ideology. We as ER Group decided to give electricity to the survivors as a sign of hope that the darkness can be replaced with light”

He added that they as ER group will always be near to help and assist the survivors and that the company will continue identifying and helping those in need as part of its social corporate responsibility.

The president of GAERG an association of Graduate genocide survivors Olivier Mazimpaka thanked ER group for deciding to help the families saying that the company responded with speed to see that electricity got to the survivors.

"ER group came and told us about their plan to help survivors with electricity and told them of the people in Kamonyi district who were in darkness since receiving the houses from FARG. They accepted to help all the ten families with lighting and as we speak, all ten homes have light” said Mazimpaka

He also thanked all those that attended the commemoration and also thanked the government for helping people that survived and those that lost their loved in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Beneficiaries’ testimony

Kanzayire Peloigie is 65 years old and in spite of her age, she is still strong and full of life and vigour. She recalls the days when they had no electricity and with a beaming smile and tears of joy thanks the lord for having brought them the good hearted people from ER group.

"I can’t thank ER Group enough. We went through a lot of horrors to survive the 1994 genocide and to see that the government of Rwanda together with these good Samaritans are giving the reason to keep living is God’s doing” says Kanzayire.

She narrated that their days were short and that activities around their homes would stop as soon as the sun went down. Kazanire says all that has now changed and she believes that her grandchildren and those school going students from the other beneficiaries are going to improve their performance at school.

Established in 2012, Energy Resources Group Limited (ER Group) is a Rwandan indigenous power utility company with a target of becoming the country’s premier provider of electricity solutions.

ER Group is a fully integrated energy company headquartered in Rwanda, East Africa. Building on more than 30 years of experience in the oil industry, the company is committed to accommodating East African energy needs in a responsible manner, and creating innovative business solutions.

ER group recently created ER Power LTD.  In its first project, ER Power patterned with AEG International to create Project Lunar, a clean energy venture that takes aim at boosting green energy access to millions of rural Rwandans.

Project Lunar will exclusively distribute and assemble high quality solar energy equipment to the Rwandan population.

ER Group understands that climate change is a very serious problem that affects everyone.  In order to make a difference, it continuously improves its own environmental performances.  It is also setting up a new tree-planting scheme to ensure that it does its best to safeguard the Rwandan environment.