WESTERN PROVINCE

RUTSIRO — The district leaders have embarked on the district-wide tour to sensitise residents on government programmes.

Led by the mayor John Ndimubahire, the team will visit different sectors believed to be lagging behind due to less interaction with leaders.

"We shall move around these places, sensitising residents about all government policies they are not aware of; because they are part of our community. If we don’t develop them it means the district will still lag behind because these are the majority," the mayor said last week.

Scores of residents who talked to The New Times say they have never physically seen their district leaders although they listen to them talk over the radio.

"I had never had a chance of meeting the mayor physically, though I have always heard him over the radio speaking about certain problems," said Andrea Mitali a resident.

"Because of less interaction, most sectors like Ruhango, Bitenga and Gachiri have always been left behind as a result of ignorance," Mukantabana Odette, the vice mayor for social affairs said.

During their tour, the leaders are campaigning for family planning and proper feeding in order to improve livelihoods. Women are particularly urged to grow vegetables both for sale and home consumption. The mayor urges women to advise their spouses about family planning. "Family planning will keep you younger and able to work hard for your families and be able to retain husbands," he told women.

The New Times established that there were a few cases of men who force their wives to conceive unwanted pregnancies in Ruhango sector, but the leaders say with sensitization, such men have been counseled and promised to respect their wives’ decisions. Some men also complained that women emancipation has caused their spouses to under look them, but it has since been sorted out through sensitization by family counsellors.

This campaign will continue until all sectors reach the same level of development, according to the leaders. Apart from health, the campaign tackles modern methods of agriculture and livestock farming. "Modern farming can deliver us from poverty," said the mayor.

Ends