Bank of Kigali has donated 30,000 facemasks to people in Ubudehe categories one and two in Rwamagana District, in the continued battle to fight Covid-19 pandemic. 

This is the first event to distribute face masks to vulnerable families through the national joint campaign named "Mask for All".

Gerard Nkubiri, the Manager of Bank of Kigali, Rwamagana Branch, said that facemasks have become a necessity, something nobody ever thought possible in the past.

"Our logo reads 'financially transforming lives', this means working with people and helping them grow their incomes and businesses, however we cannot help them in that way if they are not in good health."

"We will keep working together to overcome the virus, hopefully it will end," he added. 

Betty Abatoni, districts and provinces coordinator at Private Sector Federation (PSF), said that the joint campaign named "Mask for All", features PSF, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Local Government, and Rwanda Development Board.

As usual, we Rwandans work together in everything, she noted. 

"Private institutions, civil society organisations, international organisations, among others, tell us whenever they are ready to donate, and they are free to choose a district or sector they specifically want to donate to," she explained, indicating that BK chose Rwamagana. 

This is the third week of the campaign, and the event in Rwamagana is first distribution of the masks.

So far more than 100 private institutions and individuals have pledged to provide more than 100,000 masks, and the target is the provision of over four million face masks, according to the coordinator. 

"This is a battle one cannot fight alone, it takes the partnership of all," Rwamagana District Mayor Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi, stated. 

The official discussed said that there are people who clearly needed the masks, because they have to forgo something so they could buy it; and giving them the masks is a needed help. 

"Thirty thousand masks are equivalent to around 80 percent of the population who are in category one and two, who struggle to buy masks," Mayor Mbonyumuvunyi pointed out.