EASTERN PROVINCE

KAYONZA — At least 189 agriculture and livestock farmers drawn from Kayonza and Rwamagana districts on Tuesday received a wheelbarrow each, after undergoing training in modern farming skills.

The wheelbarrows were donated by the Community Based Reintegration initiative (CBR), a project under the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), which organised the training.

"The wheelbarrows will help them to tend to their kitchen gardens and simplify their domestic work, especially those with domestic animals,” Aimable Rwigamba, from RDRC’s CBR said.

The beneficiaries comprised mostly demobilised soldiers. They had previously been offered road construction work by CBR.

Rwigamba said that apart from imparting agriculture,livestock and civic education, programs there are several other groups who have been trained in different disciplines like entrepreneurship, construction and basket weaving.

They were also given work implements in line with their skills. The project is funded by a Germany Cooperation agency which supports reintegration of ex combatants into mainstream communities.  It operates in eight districts in the Eastern, Western and Southern, Provinces.

Clementine Mukankuranga, 32, a resident of Mukarange in the Kayonza District said: "By the time I started working with the project we did not have a house at home. After working for four months I facilitated the construction of a house we now have.”

She added that she got money which helped her join a farmers’ cooperative where every member pays Rwf10,000.

"Before, I was practicing subsistence farming. But now I will use the knowledge I acquired for better farming,” she said.

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