Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD) is to launch a book on sustainable development which will help the country’s development all the way from the grassroots. The book will be launched at a national and Sector level. On the national level the launch will take place on August 19th at hotel Novotel, Kigali while at the Sector level it will at Cyeru village on August 29, 2008. The book “TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: CYERU EXPERIENCE” is composed of 85 pages that are written in both Kinyarwanda and English. It presents development programmes and activities as well as achievements that RISD has registered in partnership with the community of Cyeru Village and the local leaders of Kabugondo Cell and Mugina Sector. The Author of the book who is also the project Program Co-coordinator, John Muyenzi, told The New Times that the book will help the rest of the country as regards development. “This program is part of the government policy and the experience we have had with Cyeru village and will certainly assist other villages in sustaining development at the lower levels,” Muyenzi said. The Director of RISD, Annie Kairaba, says the book has cost RISD Frw1,800,000 millions to print and publish the first 2000 copies. “Because this is tested work to be distributed as lessons learnt, we shall do our distribution at the two launches. We are targeting decision makers at the sector level and other development partners like NGO’s,” Kairaba said. She believes that this experience will serve as a reference in an attempt to empower midugudu (cells) to plan and carry out their own development agendas. She also added that the copies will be provided at no cost and that those interested can freely visit Cyeru village or invite any of its local leaders to assist them where necessary in the implementation process. RISD has worked with Cyeru Village since 1998. It is a grouped settlement (Umudugudu) located in Kabugondo Cell, Mugina Sector, Kamonyi District, in the Southern Province. It is about 75 km South of Kigali and is home to 158 families with a population of 812 people including children. Ends
