Midmar partners with Japan and IOM to train returnees

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (Midmar), Japanese Embassy and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have partnered to implement a new project that will ensure that over 1,500 Rwandans who repatriated from different countries are equipped with different skills to ensure they ably provide for their respective families.According to officials, the returnees, who were selected from different parts of the country, will be trained in different life skills like welding, masonry, carpentry, knitting, tailoring, and mechanics among others. A one-week trainers’ training, which involved 180 practitioners of their respective skills, ends today.The training is aimed at polishing their teaching skills for efficient adult learning, to ensure the highest values and best practices are maintained, according to officials.The trainers were drawn from the districts of Gisagara, Huye, Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe (Southern Province), Karongi, Nyabihu, Rubavu and Rutsiro (Western Province), and Musanze in the Northern Province.Finances The project will be partly financed through a $3 million grant from the Japanese Government, through their embassy in Kigali.“Instead of giving someone fish, it is always better to teach them how to catch it,” said Capt Jean Damascene Kayitana, an advisor to the Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, adding that this is just one of the many programmes aimed at ensuring smooth integration of the returnees in the communities.Kazuya Ogawa, the Japanese Ambassador to Rwanda challenged the trainers to maximise the acquired knowledge for maximum impact, promising to continue working closely with the Rwandan government for the socio-economic betterment of Rwandans.According IOM Chief of Mission in Rwanda Catherine Northing, her organisation and Midmar are now targeting 5,000 beneficiaries out of which 1,500 will acquire vocation skills trainings; 1,500 will receive livestock; and 2,000 will be provided with construction materials to satisfy their housing needs.

National

Midmar partners with Japan and IOM to train returnees