Residents who were resettled in different model villages have appealed for creation of income generating opportunities that could improve their welfare. Louise Uwambayingabire, is one of residents that have been resettled in Rwf1.2 billion Cyankongi Model Village in Masaka Sector of Kicukiro District which was inaugurated by Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, local government minister during the weekend. However, she said that they lack income generating opportunities that can improve their welfare in the villages and be food secure. “There is no market around the village. The market located in Kabuga is very far from here. We need to start small income generating activities but there are no opportunities. We need a market around and other business opportunities to help improve our welfare because we even have no land to cultivate,” she said. At least 192 households made up of vulnerable genocide survivors, people relocated from high risk zones and wetlands as well as other vulnerable citizens are housed in a new model village in Kicukiro district. However, Uwambayingabire added that apart from the school and health centre are far from the village leading children to spend two hours going to school and coming back home. She added that there is also water scarcity as water is available once a week on every Wednesday. “It costs Rwf2,000 to take a patient to Masaka health centre which is far from the model village. Besides supporting us in terms of service delivery, all basic facilities could also create business opportunities for us, she said. Ancile Somayire, a genocide survivor also resettled in the model village added that public works under Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP) programme are better opportunities to improve their welfare as they create jobs. “My child supports me because I am 81 years old and continuity of these public works could help to generate more income and help start our own income generating project,” she said. Vice Mayor in charge of Socio-economic Affairs Nadine Umutoni Gatsinzi said that there is a need for devising strategies to create business opportunities in all the established model villages. “There are more 64 houses for vulnerable people to be inaugurated soon in Gasabo district in Ndera and Nduba sectors and more 32 houses for vulnerable genocide survivors in Bumbogo sector and many others in other sectors. However resettlement is not enough. They need business opportunities to be created in order to survive,” she said. She said there are still many people relocated from wetlands and high risk zones that need to be housed in model villages. “We have embarked on new profiling of the households that need houses,” she said. Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, Local Government Minister reiterated that the government is going to devise strategies for creating income generating activities in all model villages across the country. “Resettled residents in the model villages need water access and health services close to them. We have to think of income generating projects that can help them improve welfare. We can set up an integrated Craft Product Centres where young people and other workforce can do various income generating activities such as carpentry,” “They can do tailoring and tap into opportunities in and around the villages .We can set up a small market in these model villages. We can set up poultry houses to promote rearing as a business, they needkitchen gardens and many other income generating activities,” he said. He said VUP works are also opportunities for residents in model villages to generate income that should be tapped into. “All income generating opportunities will help them get means to buy food and satisfy other needs. All constructed model villages should have access to basic services,” he noted.
