Housing for the needy: The South sets completion date

SOUTHERN REGION HUYE - Provincial leaders meeting in the district on Tuesday has set July 31 as the deadline for the completion of houses for needy Genocide survivors in the Province. A housing needs survey conducted last year revealed that over 5,000 housing units for needy survivors in the eight districts of the province are needed. During a provincial joint action development forum meeting held on Tuesday, it was revealed that over 4,500 housing units have been built through the support from government, development partners and local communities largely through the monthly community work locally known as Umuganda. The districts of Ruhango and Kamonyi have managed to complete all the houses they embarked on in 2008 while the districts of Huye and Nyaruguru have the biggest number of incomplete houses. Talking about the strategy employed in completing 742 houses in Kamonyi, the district Mayor Jean Paul Muyandamutsa said that it was largely due to close supervision of the construction works. “We followed closely the construction process of the houses. The local people were well mobilised and the assistance from our development partners was excellent,” said the Kamonyi Mayor. The issue of lack of housing for needy Genocide survivors featured prominently in last years national dialogue (Umushikirano) where it was decided that districts ought to prioritise this issue. The programme has received considerable support from development partners and government where the latter, through the Ministry of local government provided roofing materials and cement. District Mayors during the meeting applauded the role played by the Rwanda defence forces (RDF) in supporting the programme. They have intervened mainly in the construction of facilities to the main houses which include toilette and kitchen units. Speaking during the same meeting, the Provincial Governor, Fidele Ndayisaba called upon district leaders to encourage their people to settle in community settlements locally known as Imidugudu. The Governor said that according to the targets set in the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) 70 percent of the population should be living in Imidugudu by the year 2012. He called upon district leaders to utilise the manpower provided by convicts on community work (TIG) and programmes like the monthly community work. The Province has set July 31 as the date for the completion of the houses many of which are at the finishing phase. Ends