SOUTHERN PROVINCE

NYAMAGABE — Construction of 672 houses meant for vulnerable Genocide survivors and other vulnerable people is near completion, the district Mayor has said.

Speaking during the Accountability Day at the district headquarters on Wednesday, Alphonse Munyantwali said that building for the vulnerable was given top priority during the second quarter of the year.

He said: "We have mobilized our communities to help with construction. We have also enlisted help from 300 prisoners doing community work to construct 672 houses many of which have reached the roofing stage.”

Finding decent housing for vulnerable genocide survivors and other vulnerable people is a major challenge for authorities in the Province.

Available statistics show that there are 28,000 vulnerable people in need of housing, of which 9,000 are Genocide survivors.

Accountability Day in the district was marked by a display of services which are delivered to the general public by different departments and units.

According to Mayor Munyantwali, residents were also briefed on how the district operates. However, residents were more interested in lodging complaints.

To ensure that residents exhaust the existing local administrative levels, the district introduced a record book for all residents.

"The record book will help us understand how a problem was solved by the lower levels. Some people tend to skip the lower administrative levels and opt to lodge their complaints at the district or even to visiting dignitaries who have little or no knowledge of a given case,” he noted.

"The record book will help us keep track of all cases reported to local authorities,” he added.

During a press briefing, the Mayor revealed that the district had registered tremendous success in fighting soil erosion.

"We have mobilized our people to make terraces. They have been helped by 1,000 prisoners doing community work to ensure that we meet the 2009 deadline set by government,” said Munyantwali.

The district is also intensifying the campaign to use human waste as manure.

"Mainly in schools, we have promoted the construction of toilet facilities that make it possible to use human waste as manure.

We are now working on encouraging families to get on board,” he added.

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