FARG moves to bridge funding gap for vulnerable Genocide survivors

Many vulnerable Genocide survivors face serious needs concerns, but the fund for support of Genocide survivors (FARG) is moving to set up long-term projects for them as one of the best ways to respond to the challenge. Theopiste Mukamudenge, a 69-year-old vulnerable Genocide survivor with no children or relatives but an elder sister, said when she was still energetic, she engaged in sorghum beer business. “I could make the beer and sell it and, through the business, I earned living,” Mukamudenge said. But after getting a back and knee ailment last year, Mukamudenge is no longer able to run the business. “I had a back and knee operation. I can no longer brew, I am hinging on other people’s support for survival,” she said as she walked on crutches from her home in Cyarwa Cell, Urunana Village, Tumba Sector in Huye District. “I am hinging on the direct support that comes from FARG or other philanthropists,” Mukamudenge said. Needy survivors like Mukamudenge have expressed interest in owning long-term lucrative projects to further improve their welfare. It does not necessitate that those survivors run such projects themselves as some are physically weak to do it due to advanced age or disease, rather, they can be run through proxy and survivors be the owner provided that they benefit from these. Survivors who have no relatives to support or children (incike) – like Mukamudenge – say it is even hard for them to get water as they are only relying on help from neighbours’ children. This means when the children have gone to school, for instance, it becomes difficult for them to get water. “Sometimes a child can be disobedient and refuse to fetch water for you,” Mukamudenge said. Maybe this is the reason she proposed a project to sell water as they can get it easily. “If we have a water tap, we can sell water and get income,” she said. Mukamudenge also said she still clings to her local brew (ikigage) business. “I like Ikigage business more because I know well how to make it and if I get money, I could invest in it again. Or, we can come together as needy survivors in our village and decide a profitable project we can run,” she said. When in urgent need Matilde Ngirubuhe, 68, another survivor living in Urunana Village, has also no relatives after her eight children were killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “I get difficulties fulfilling my basic needs such that I rely on the support from FARG and others,” she said. The survivors said they are in need for a lasting solution to their financial problems. “Support from individuals is seldom timely, and this becomes a problem when you are in urgent need of it. That’s why there is a need for profitable long-term projects that they can own,” said Marie Françoise Mukarurangwa, another Genocide survivor, but who also keeps a close watch on the most needy survivors in Urunana Village. “Projects such as bakery and wedding services like decoration can benefit survivors for their welfare,” she added. Huye mayor Eugène Kayiranga Muzuka said there was need for profitable projects to be owned by needy survivors. “They need to own sustainable profitable projects to help them meet their daily needs and we will help come up with these. We support their idea to help them be self-reliant,” the mayor said. Theophile Ruberangeyo, the director-general of FARG, said the survivors’ suggestion for long-term profitable projects is laudable and that FARG has also adopted the same drive and seeks to reinforce it. “This is another new approach we are adopting to help them and we want to put more efforts in it to supplement the government’s budget towards their social protection. When we take away the portion of funds dedicated to the education of the survivor students, which takes up between 70 per cent and 75 per cent of FARG’s budget, it is not feasible to increase the support to needy survivors,” Ruberangeyo said. “It is being realised that as time progresses, needs are outweighing the available government budget. Therefore, we are looking for other ways such aas setting up income generating projects that can earn them money even when they are not directing running such projects.” He said of the RWf27 billion budget that was allocated to FARG this financial year, about Rwf18 billion of it was channeled to education. The stipend support given to a survivor per month is Rwf7,500 and is based on Vision Umurenge Programme (VUP) in the framework of social protection. Marie Françoise Mukarurangwa. (Emmanuel Ntirenganya) Projects being worked on However, Ruberangeyo said some needy survivors get more support. He cited Rwf25 million house for rent to be completed within this financial year in Kinyinya Sector in Gasabo District among the projects to complement government support to needy survivors. Ruberangeyo said the house could rake in between Rwf250,000 and Rwf300,000 rent fee per month. In Kiberinka Village, Nyamirambo Sector of Nyarugenge District, there is a Rwf40 million multipurpose hall being constructed also to generate income to support survivors. He said there is also a big modern brick and tile furnace which is complete in Gitambi Sector, Rusizi District. “The furnace is worth Rwf98 million and is intended to help survivors through the rent. The money will go to the district coffers and be given to the needy survivors to help improve their welfare,” Ruberangeyo said. “We realised the district funds earmarked for social protection is very little. The furnace is capable of producing 25,000 bricks and 120,000 tiles at once, such that you can build an entire village in a go,” he added. Beata Utamuriza, 41, a mother of six from Gitambi Sector in Rusizi District, said: “If the furnace starts operating, it will provide us revenue to help meet our basic needs.” Ruberangeyo said in the next Financial Year 2015/2016, they want to build another furnace in Mageragere Sector, Nyarugenge District, worth Rwf60 million. He said the move also intends to empower needy survivors such that they could be self-reliant and the support that FARG was giving them be used for other purposes. Ruberangeyo said the private sector can also invest in this new programme. “We are mobilising the private sector to partner with us in this effort. Investors can bring their shares to FARG for joint venture, for instance, in bakery and the revenues should be shared between the investors and beneficiary needy survivors,” he said, adding that the community should also contribute toward the achievement of this goal. “The same way people mobilised funds through One Dollar Campaign and they did a laudable action to erect the One Dollar Complex which has helped Genocide survivor students who had no home, we wish they would continue to support the government in achieving the welfare of needy survivors,” Ruberangeyo said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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FARG moves to bridge funding gap for vulnerable Genocide survivors