The Rwanda-Tanzania Friendship Association (RWATAFA) will open more branches across the country to improve the welfare of the members.

This was announced, yesterday, during the 4th general assembly that brought together Rwandans who lived in Tanzania and Tanzanians living and working in Rwanda.

"We will soon open branches all over the country that will, this time, be profit oriented,” said Isidore Gahamanyi, the chairperson of the association.

He said several projects have been designed for the branches and will mostly be agri-business.

RWATAFA aims at strengthening the existing relationship between Rwanda and Tanzania through culture and social-economic activities.

"We want to create a business oriented community between the people living here and those in Tanzania by exchanging some commodities, like Tanzania has more fruits than Rwanda so this would help,” Gahamanyi added.

However, Gahamanyi said that most Tanzanians don’t know about Rwanda. "RWATAFA doesn’t engage in politics, it is a people to people association, this will make an impact on the business between the two countries,” he said.

Gahamanyi said the association will engage in the same programmes through their Tanzania-based sister association called Tanzania Rwanda Friendship Association (TARAFA) for effectiveness.

"We have many Rwandans still living in Tanzania, if we can bring them on board, all our projects will become more successful, and since the establishment of this association, we have managed to create many friends in Tanzania and people there have love for our country,” Gahamanyi stressed.

RWATAFA was started in 1999 in both countries and has over 200 members in each country.

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