A group of 130 ex-combatants from the Northern Province, who completed an apprenticeship and vocational training course last year, have received work kits donated by the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC) to help them create their own jobs.

The ex-combatants were trained in welding, bricklaying, tailoring, and joinery. Speaking to the group, RDRC Commissioner Fred Nyamurangwa, urged them to utilize the equipment optimally by joining cooperatives in order to work as a team and get out of poverty.

"The commission does not consider the military organization you served in the past, but treats all ex-combatants equally. This support should serve as capital to earn a living, not to wait for aid,’’ Nyamurangwa said.

More vulnerable former fighters are expected to get training and other support after passing a screening exercise to establish those eligible.

Nyamurangwa disclosed that ex-combatants classified in the first category of disability are given Rwf50,000 each month, and a house, those in the second category, Rwf35,000, while others with severe disabilities get other forms of support.

Musanze vice Mayor, Pascal Butunge, warned the ex-combatants against selling the equipment and advised them to fully participate in development programmes.

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