SOUTHERN PROVINCE RUHANGO—Residents of Byimana sector in Ruhango district have made up their minds to achieve development through change of mentality to fight the existing poverty in the province. The residents made the tag on Monday October 29 with their local leaders and Centre de Service aux Cooperative (CSC) a donor organization during a one-day consultative meeting between local leaders and residents. In the recent evaluation of performance contracts for 2007, Byimana sector emerged fifth out of nine sectors in Ruhango district and poverty and hunger underline the biggest wars to be fought. Southern Province has changed its theme from ‘fighting poverty by eliminating hunger’ to ‘work hard towards development. We as leaders see it necessary to discuss with residents on fundamental strategies to achieve the goal,” Vedaste Mugemanyi, vice mayor for social affairs told residents. Mugemanyi commended Byimana sector for having residents who fully participated in government, initiatives but urged that there was a need to put efforts together in transforming agricultural produce and weaving enterprises to join cooperatives. Byimana is one of the famous areas renowned for establishing associations of basket weavers and this is one of the projects that most residents asked the local leaders to boost. Other areas include promotion of Agricole products and residents asked the leaders to solicit subsidized seedlings and hybrid insemination for local livestock. Sosthène Habimana, executive secretary of Byimana said that the sector has been lagging behind in achieving the performance contracts due to lack of maximum sensitization. “There is lack of information transmission on government development aspects among residents. This discussion has been fruitful and positive results are expected if residents can fully have a hand in all the set goals” Habimana said. The residents were also urged to start implementing the performance contracts 2008 on family basis so as to rank among the best performing sectors in the district. Ends
