A construction firm belonging to the Ministry of Defence (MINADEF), Horizon Construction Company, will take on the construction of seven Hostel blocs to house Genocide survivor students under the "One Dollar Campaign”
The complex will be located at Kagugu, Kinyinya in Gasabo District.

The two-storey blocs whose initial drawing plans have already been done by the Engineering Regiment of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF),  will have one administrative block  while the other 6 will serve as hostels-with each housing about 100 people, complete with a shopping mall, saloon, cyber cafe, entertainment hall, swimming pool as well as a multi-purpose exhibition hall.

"What is remaining now is to set up an Executive Secretariat which will be chaired by an experienced Project Manager who will oversee the fund and the construction work. He or she will be based within the Association of Student Survivors of the Genocide (AERG),” Foreign Affairs Minister, Rosemary Museminali, told an Inter-Ministerial meeting last week.

According to Museminali, a Governance Advisory Board of the Fund will be set up to monitor and advice on the progress of the activities and it will consist of members from her ministry, MINADEF, Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), the Diaspora Directorate (RDGN), AERG, AEGIS TRUST and will be placed under the leadership of local government ministry (MINALOC).

"Construction work will start soon. It was agreed that Horizon takes on the construction activities because RDF and MINADEF have responded very positively to the ‘One Dollar Campaign’ and they have known experience in Construction work,” she explained.

According to records, in the last 6 months, over Rwf1.24bn has been collected, and the campaign which ends December 15, targets Rwf 1.5bn.

So far the biggest contributors, the Unity Club, consisting of current and past leaders with their spouses, leads with a contribution of over Rwf 395m followed by the Rwandan Diaspora with over Rwf 196m.

Soccer matches organised by the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC) raised over Rwf 81m while local government contributed over Rwf 80m.

The Association of Religious Groups has contributed over Rwf 54m while the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) has contributed over Rwf 41m.

According to Robert Masozera, the Head of the Diaspora Directorate at MINAFFET (RDGN), the Task Force is meeting on Wednesday to choose the most qualified Fund Manager among the many applicants.

"We want the activities done in the most transparent way possible-there won’t be any question marks on the management of the fund.” Masozera made the assurance in an interview with The New Times.

Ends