Rwanda’s ‘Omuganda’ Fosters Re-integration of Evictees

By Lilian Museka

Teta  (not hear real name), 3 years tries to struggle to carry the food stuffs that she has just been given. She uses her mouth to carry the used bottles she collected on the ground while the provisions fill up in her hands.

Everybody attending the event claps as she uses the skills to transport everything at ago in their just built house.

She is among the families of over 5,000 Rwandans who were evicted from Tanzania last year. Some have since been re-united with their families after being separated during the genocide.

The government of Rwanda embarked on resettling the evictees in different parts of the country by building houses, providing building materials and household items, among others.

During this month’s clean up exercise locally known as Omuganda, at the Nyarugenge District, involved distribution of food stuffs and building materials for some of the evictees. The government has been allocating land to put up new houses to ensure re-integration in the community.

Over 2,000 villagers attended the event which was marked by cleaning up the area led by the District Mayor Ms Solange Mukasonga, other government officials and partners.

Everyone including children, parents, private and government officials including the president gather in various places to clean the city or get involved in community projects On this day, all shops remain closed from 7am to 11 am and everyone is expected to participate. After the cleaning, there is always a public lecture from attending officials or government partners.

Omuganda began in 2007 and means contribution. It was a practice where Rwandans met and solved challenges like building houses for the homeless, cleaning up, discussing issues and coming up with amicable solutions. 

Participants attending a multimedia journalism refresher course from different African countries gathered at the location to join the locals in the day’s activities.

The cleanup is an exercise done around the country. It has moved from being a government responsibility to the community who take it as their own obligation.

It is a practice that has changed the face of Rwanda and the country is now considered one of the cleanest in Africa, developing at a very fast rate. Roads are well organized, cleaned up and clearly marked. Motorbike taxi drivers all wear helmets clearly marked with an extra for their passengers. All drivers are expected to adhere to traffic rules.

In her speech,  Mukasonga urged all locals to continue embracing communal work and helping those in need to foster peace and reconciliation, and development.

She also called on other African countries to emulate Rwanda adding that exercise would ensure responsible citizenship and foster untiy.