Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) handed over 5,760 iron sheets to 242 families of Bweyeye Sector in Rusizi District, a donation by President Paul Kagame.
A group of local and senior military leaders officiated at the handover ceremony in a remote village of Kiyabo, which borders Burundi.
The RDF area Commander Maj Gen Alex Kagame and Western Province Governor Alphonse Munyantwari led a delegation to Bweyeye Sector.
As he handed over the donation, Maj. Gen. Alex Kagame commended the residents on the transformation of their communities in the midst of several enemy attacks that the area has endured.
"I was here in 1994, but there was no single household. Today, a lot has changed and that's a sign of transformation," he noted.
The remote Bweyeye had no electricity until July, 2017, when power reached the sector in fulfillment of another promise President Kagame made when he visited the area back in 2013.
Today, almost every household is connected to the grid with available access to healthcare, education, and other basic services.
"This (the donation) is a sign of the commitment by our leadership to transform your lives. The donation will help those whose roofs are old or damaged," Munyantwari told the residents.
He encouraged citizens to look at the donation as a foundation of what they can do to improve their welfare.
"You may not achieve everything you want today but you might achieve it the next day. This is the kind of spirit we encourage you to have," he said.
Yeremiya Nzayituriki, a resident who received the donation, expressed gratitude to the President and said it comes at the right time.
"I want to thank President Paul Kagame for his gesture. The iron sheets I received will help me put a roof to my house and move from renting," he told The New Times.
Another resident, Eliane Nyirandimubanzi said that she's been living in a house with leaks for so long.
"This donation will therefore fix it. I am glad the President understands our needs, and takes charge to provide us with what we need to thrive," she noted.
Enduring attacks
The leaders called on the population to continue being vigilant and report any suspicious activities.
"If you are able to make significant steps to promote your welfare, the next step is to sustain what has been achieved," Kagame said.
Last year in November, Bweyeye sector was attacked by terrorists, but attackers were repulsed by the military before they could reach areas inhabited by the civilian population.
The attack was claimed by the National Liberation Force (FLN), a military wing of the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD).
MRCD is a terrorist organisation that operates in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which was formed by Paul Rusesabagina and other anti-Rwanda elements who have safe haven in different countries.
Rusesabagina was arrested by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau and was paraded on Monday to the media, saying the arrest was the result of an international warrant of arrest.
He is accused among other things of leading a rebel group that has launched several attacks in Nyabimata, Nyaruguru District in June 2018, and in Nyungwe, Nyamagabe District in December 2018.
He faces several counts, including terrorism, arson, kidnapping and murder, according to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau.