The Ministry of Labour and Public Service, in conjunction with Gasabo District, has donated work kits to 156 youth who have acquired various vocational skills.The work kits, including building, hairdressing and carpentry materials worth Rwf3.9 million, were handed over on Monday by the ministry and district officials at Kacyiru Sector offices in Kigali.The beneficiaries include former prostitutes, people with disabilities and former street children grouped in different cooperatives.Handing over the items, Gasabo vice mayor for social affairs Louise Uwimana encouraged the beneficiaries to work under cooperatives so as to share their ideas."People working together must also have common understanding. The district encourages and funds technical training for the youth in carpentry, welding, mechanics, tailoring, and beauty care to help youth create their own jobs,” Uwimana said."We noticed that providing money was not yielding good results because some beneficiaries used the money improperly, especially because of lack of skills to design and implement good projects. Investing in knowledge is the most reliable and tested source of development even for individuals.”Anastase Murekezi, the minister for labour and public service, stressed the importance of cooperatives in raising the living standards of youth and women through saving.No lazing aroundMurekezi asked the youth to discard laziness and instead engage in developmental projects for self-reliance."Remember God has mercy to everybody but He helps those who help themselves, join hands together to create new jobs, ” he said.One of the beneficiaries, Theogene Ndayambaje, a carpentry graduate from Iwawa, said the tools would help him create his own job."This tool kits will help me to set up my own carpentry workshop. Previously, I was associated with all sorts of anti-social behaviour like drug abuse, alcoholism and rape, but since getting a chance to be taken to Iwawa, I have become a responsible man. I decided to study this so that I can be able to help myself and my neighbours. That is my goal,” he said.