EASTERN PROVINCE NGOMA — Close to 120,000 residents were not photographed during the national identity card (ID) photography, in the Eastern Province, an official said. Augustine Kampayana, of the national ID project, said that the photography exercise would be re-launched starting November 13 -19 for those who missed it. Kampayana, who was meeting area local leaders, in Ngoma district early this week, urged the leaders to mobilise residents not to miss the second round of photography. The meeting, among other things aimed at designing strategies to implement different programmes including Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP), Integrated Development Programme (IDP) and the completion of national ID registration in the province. At the meeting, Jean Claude Rwahama, the Director of Community Development and Social affairs, in the Ministry of Local government, asked local leaders to speed up the implementation of government programmes. He also urged them to involve residents in the implementation exercise in order to ensure sustainability of projects. Rwahama, explained that since IDP started last year, the country has somehow registered a progress in development, but more efforts are still needed in order to achieve the country’s Vision 2020 goals. He cited increased production in agriculture and animal husbandry, formation of cooperative societies, and settling people in community settlements- which has provided enough land for agriculture, as some of the areas where progress has been registered. Noting that the country’s target has not been reached, Rwahama said: “This can be achieved if you can only commit yourselves to your entailed duties while involving the residents.” Vincent Gahamanyi, of the Community Development Fund (CDF), called on leaders to stick to their set targets. VUP is an initiative by the Government of Rwanda to stem extreme poverty by the year 2020 and lower to 20 percent from 36.9 percent by 2012. The programme coordinates all anti poverty interventions in the country. Gahamanyi called on leaders to facilitate the selection of beneficiaries and projects, in order to ensure that development plans yield positive results. He disclosed that over Rwf620 million has been spent and over 18,600 people employed, since VUP’s inception in December last year. Ends
