The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will today, hold a public seminar on the reintegration of ex-combatants with disabilities.

The seminar is aimed at creating a knowledge platform for sharing lessons and to facilitate reintegration in local communities.

RDRC Chairman, John Sayinzoga, told The New Times that JICA has been very supportive in providing handy skills to ex-combatants with disabilities.

"The seminar on Tuesday will bring together various stakeholders, especially local authorities, who are important when it comes to the issue of mobilizing the ex-combatants with disabilities who have got skills to work their way out of poverty and unnecessary dependency,” Sayinzoga said.
Sayinzoga said the ex-combatants with disabilities have been put into four ‘needs-based’ categories.

The first category (and most vulnerable) have been given houses, in addition to a monthly financial support package of Rwf 50,000 per head while the second category gets Rwf 35,000 monthly. Plans are underway to build houses for category two as well, Sayinzoga noted.

Individuals in the third and fourth categories receive Rwf 25,000 and Rwf 20,000 monthly, respectively, and as Sayinzoga explained, it is these categories that are most targeted in skills training project.

"We want to teach them appropriate skills given the type of disability each has and this is where JICA is very instrumental,” said Sayinzoga.

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