NGORORERO - The Forum for Women Parliamentarians (FFRP) has donated 15 heifers to poor women in Ngororero district.

The hybrid cows, worth over Rwf8.2m, were handed over by the Speaker of Parliament, Rose Mukantabana, on Wednesday, at a ceremony to launch MDG campaign among rural women.

The heifers were donated in a bid to support rural women to fight poverty through economic empowerment, as part of the One Cow Per Poor Family initiative.

The beneficiaries also received tick spray pumps and veterinary medication and were urged to take good care of the animals and later pass on the offspring to their neighbours.

Mukantabana said that the gift of a cow to each woman was a sign of love, support and a head start to eliminate poverty among women.

"Empowering women economically is key to fighting poverty so that they can equally contribute to national growth, afford health care, education and participate in leadership roles in society,” Mukantabana said.

She also stated that gender based violence must be ended so that women and men collaborate and work as partners in development.

The FFRP chairperson, Marie Mukantabana, revealed that the progress and sustainability programme will be closely monitored by the forum, adding that local leaders and beneficiaries will be accountable.

More cows will, in future, be donated to similar categories of women countrywide.

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