Rwanda Environmental Conservation Organisation (RECOR), a local Non-governmental organisation (NGO), on Friday launched an initiative that aims at conserving the environment as well as preventing hippos from attacking the population in Ndego Sector of Kayonza District in Eastern Province.

Ndego Sector covers the area where Lake Nasho is located as one of the lakes which have the hippos well known for attacking the nearby population as well as destroying their farms and crops.

Through the new initiative, the organisation will spearhead sisal planting at fifteen meters from the lake.

"For the beginning, we shall start with bringing people together to plant sisal and our initial or first phase will see at least eight hectors covered by sisal. This will also help in preventing soil erosion that has seen top soil washed into the lake,” said Jean Chrysostome Sehene, the executive secretary of the organisation.

He encouraged residents to take part in the project, acknowledging that production of sisal will also create employment in the area thereby contributing to fight unemployment and poverty. Famers were also called on to form cooperatives so as to work together with the organization to make the initiative a success.

Sehene said that at least 120 residents will be trained in sisal production skills and encouraged to train their neighbours as a strategy to involve more residents in the programme.

It is believed that sisal plantations will restrict hippos from moving into people’s farms and residential areas nearby the lake.

The Executive Secretary of Ndego Sector, Alex Bright Nsoro, said the initiative will contribute to existing measures to put the areas attacked by the hippos back in order.

"Since 2007 we have received 1500 cases of residents reporting destruction of their gardens. There have also been reports of deaths in the area attributed to attacks by the hippos,” he said.

Among the people whose crops were destroyed, more than 500 have been compensated by the government while other victims of the attacks remain uncompensated.

Nsoro said that local authorities have also started a cooperative called "Hozagara” through which residents are being trained on how to protect the population from the attacks.

RECOR’s project in Ndego is funded by an international organisation called Global Environment Facility through its Small Grants Programme. The organisation works with communities and civil society organisations around the world to fight critical global environmental problems.