Historically marginalised appeal for support

GAKENKE — Families categorised as historically marginalised groups in Gakenke District have appealed to the government for support to enable them develop income generating projects in order to empower them economically. Close to 200 residents in this category living in four different sectors of the district, are all landless, surviving on odd jobs. While some still carry out the main traditional pottery activity, others are employed to cultivate for other residents who pay them meagre wages. The residents raised the complaints this week during a meeting convened by the district to listen to their challenges.Faustan Ntawuruhunga, married at the age of 18, along with his 20 year-old wife, have two sheep, which were provided to them by PEPSTER, a local NGO --but they have no farm land to enable them undertake farming. “We don’t want to continue being beggars, if we could get a plot of land, we can survive on our own, rather than working for others,’’ said Odetta Uzabakiriho. The group also complained that, some residents still refer to them as Abantwa, the ethnic remark they consider insulting—but hailed the government for discouraging such ethnic divisions. Asked about the district’s plan for the group, the vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Hyacinth Twishimwe, said that the district has mooted a programme to train over 90 of them on how to do business. The families which have been living in ramshackle grass-thatched houses are currently beneficiaries of a resettlement programme which was spearheaded by the district.They have health insurance paid for them, the official said. “We have been wondering over and over how to go about this, but now we are settled in these new houses, we wash our clothes, we are smart you can see, but we lack plots of land to be like others,’’ a 60-year- old Viotelle Kanyamuhanda stressed. After holding discussions with the families, the vice mayor noted that there has been remarkable steps in transforming the lives of the historically marginalised. Ends