Musanze- Sabyinyo Community Livelihoods Association, SACOLA, has joined the anti-thatched housing campaign in Musanze District.

The association Monday donated 2,600 iron sheets to 130 vulnerable and historically marginalized families in Kinigi, and Nyange sectors.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Emmanuel Rutaremara, the acting district Mayor, commended the association for their contribution to improve the lives of residents.

SACOLA supports tourism activities around Volcano National Park, home to the mountain gorillas. It also helps communities around the park to initiate development activities that will improve their livelihoods, without endangering the gorillas.

"The fruits of this association are proof of better management of local income generating activities. It also shows that your contribution towards the conservation of the park is paying off,’’ Rutaremara noted.

Celestin Nsengiyumva, the president of SACOLA, said that the association plans to launch the Kinigi Cultural Centre and Community Walk in June.

"We have embarked on encouraging communities to set up income generating activities through cooperatives. We work with former poachers to guard against illegal harvesting of resources in the park,’’ Nsengiyumva said.

The beneficiaries, who included the historically marginalized group in Kinigi, thanked the government for the decent housing program.

"I thought I would die in my old house,  finding better housing is the biggest achievement  I have attained in my life,’’ Gregore Nzigora, said after receiving his iron sheets.

The association, which is composed of the local communities in Nyange and Kinigi sectors, also participated in the electrification of Nyange at a cost of Rwf4.5 million

It also developed 500 kitchen gardens and spent Rwf29m in the construction of classrooms to facilitate the  9-Year Basic Education programme.

Ends