Bank of Kigali in partnership with Green Solutions and Supply Ltd Rwanda, on Friday, June 3 distributed improved cook stoves and water tanks in Kabarore Sector of Gatsibo district. 

The donation was directed to needy residents in the first and second categories of Ubudehe. 

Up to 300 energy saving cook stoves (each costing Rwf 40,000) and 20 water retention tanks (each costing Rwf 300,000) were distributed during the ceremony. 

According to Bank of Kigali, the initiative aimed at supporting residents in the village who often encounter the issue of lack of firewood in the area. 

Patrick Girimana, the Branch Manager of Bank of Kigali in Kabarore sector said these are part of the bank's efforts to restore nature and contribute to the environmental conservation. 

"As Bank of Kigali, we are partners in each community where we have a branch. That is how we realized the issue (environmental degradation) in this area and donated energy saving cook stoves as well as water retention tanks,” he noted. 

"You know some of these residents would cross roads looking for firewood and encounter accidents while students would get late to school because they had to first fetch water. So we hope it will be of benefit for them,” added Girimana. 

The cooking stoves are often termed Umurabyo which signifies a lightning, implies they are quick and efficient. 

As normal stoves would consume 10 kgs of firewood, the donated cookstove could use four or less. 

The agronomist of Kabarore sector, Michael Rudasingwa, lauded BK’s efforts to come to rescue of these residents. 

He said the support doubles to help residents raise their standards of living, and push the district to achieve its national Imihigo contract performance targets. 

"This is a solution to deforestation that was prevalent in this area, most of these needy residents used to cut down trees from forests, but since they have energy saving cook stoves, we won’t expect that again”.  

The agronomist added the same applies to water coverage, as some of them have been given water retention tanks to scale up water access in their regions. 

"On the other side, it is helping us as the district administration, to achieve our Imihigo national targets, just as they contribute to environmental conservation which is part of the total development agenda,” he expressed. 

Residents upbeat 

Sarah Kantengwa who has lived in Gatsibo district for almost 30 years commended this support. 

She reiterated deforestation was prevalent in the area as a result of lack of alternative means of cooking energy. 

"I am very happy that Bank of Kigali has come to our rescue, we often used to cut down trees in Gabiro military camp, some would smuggle there in the midnight looking for firewood, but since we have these stoves that is happening no more,” recalled Kantengwa. 

"Imagine a woman leaving children in the house and go to cut down firewood in the forest of a military camp, that was insane!” she wondered. 

Another parent, Antoine Hafashimana, who received a water retention tanks also narrates the issue they often encounter of low water access in the region. 

"The tanks we received are very helpful, my children used to wake up even before 4 AM to fetch water, but since I got the tanks, there is a significant positive change as children wake up and rush to school and study on time, and when they come back, they don’t go to fetch, instead they come home and revise,” commented Hafashimana. 

One tank that has been donated has the capacity to store up to 1500 litres of water.