Refining livelihood of Rusumo communities
From Tanzania to Rwanda, the affluent waters of the Kagera River flow to Rusumo Falls and pass beneath Rusumo bridge which forms from both ends the diligent Rusumo One Stop Border Post. The Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project (RRFHP) will connect the Plant’s facilities upstream in Tanzania and downstream of the switchyard on Rwanda side and will contribute to having lower energy costs in shareholder countries. The Project is owned by Rusumo Power Company Limited (RPCL), a joint development of Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania which authorized the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program to implement the Project.
The construction of the 80MW power plant involves daily border crossing of Project personnel and workers to traverse Rusumo border with materials and equipment. Rusumo One Stop Border Post is a vibrant hotspot with a local business community, traders and clearing agents unstoppably operating 24 hours at the customs offices on both Rwanda and Tanzania sides. Rusumo Project is also giving back to communities surrounding the construction area with socio-economic development programs commandeered by respective districts and communes.
Improving access to potable water and hygiene to Rusumo communities
In July 2020, Ngoma District inaugurated 28,7 km of mixed water pipeline in Gatonde-Gahima cells that will benefit about 10,000 persons and 33km of Gituku-Murama water supply system are accessed by 18,000 persons in Rukira and Murama sectors.
“Thanks to district leadership, we now have access to access to safely managed water in well-arranged premises, free from contamination and available at time convenient to community members was a wish to many people in Ngoma district”, according to a community member benefiting from water facilities.
Community member of Gituku sector, Ngoma District, Rwanda
Ngara district in Tanzania and Busoni and Giteranyi communes also have water supply rehabilitation projects under LADP. Rusumo surrounding district leadership consider access to safe drinking water as a contribution to fight against poverty, disease, and death especially when every man, woman and child have access to it. However, many people remain without access to improved drinking water.
A healthy environment
LADP benefits include access to health development among others. Tanzania LADP constructed Kyenda dispensary and health centers for Rusumo and Lukore villages; those health amenities are equipped with all necessities such as medication blocks, convenient toilets, mortuary, theater and labor ward, incinerator as well as accommodation of health center staff. Districts’ leadership considered access to healthcare as a response to improving communities’ well-being “for all at all ages” as suggests the 3rd Sustainable Development Goal.
Burundi LADP also constructed Bugoma health center in Giteranyi and Mugano Health Center. Mrs. Jeanine Uwizeyimana, a community member of Mugano colline in Giteranyi commune shared her excitement about healthcare facilities brought to their neighborhood. “We are happy that Mugano health facility is in our neighborhood and we hope it will be affordable and of good quality, because development of our place depends on health of our community members”, he says.
On August 15, 2020, Burundi Minister for Hydraulics, Energy and Mines and Chairperson of RPCL Council of Ministers, Hon. Eng. Ibrahim UWIZEYE visited the LADP infrastructure in Giteranyi and Busoni Communes.
The Minister commended the progress made, he was delighted that surrounding communities will soon benefit health care, develop youth’s skills and have access to potable water from Rusumo Project. He urged to equip the infrastructures so they start to be operational. “We now want to see the health operational to serve the communities”, he added.
For Rwanda built Kirehe health center which became the pioneer project to be launched and operational in June 2019. This will improve quality of lives of Rusumo communities and prevent diseases and deaths.
Respective governments will ensure citizens are facilitated to reach health services especially those that were located at distances from Rusumo area.
An empowered youth and educated generation
Burundi LADP built two youth vocation centers, that is, the Ruzo Vocation training Center in Giteranyi Commune and the Murore Vocation Training Center in Busoni Commune. The training centers will be well equipped with viable access road to reach them.
All area of LADP construction comply with social and environment safeguards requirement and are environment friendly; the projects planted fruits and local species.
Murore and Ruzo training centers will empower Busoni and Giteranyi communes through effective education, formation and employment services that will help them to find jobs or initiate businesses which will contribute to economic empowerment and sustainable development of their respective local community.
Ruzo training center is located in Munazi locality has three sections of welding, plumbing and food processing. As it has been a world’s trend among youth folks, rural children prefer to join vocational activities after basic education which finishes in Grade 9 in Burundi. Vocational training program is a new initiative that the organization has introduced the last one year that will enable many youths in our community to gain skills that will enable them to start their own businesses and even get employed in the local industries.
The local area leadership was instrumental during the project cycle from identification onwards; the leadership anticipates that these Training centers will enhance youth’s economic empowerment since this is a local and national priority. Busoni and Giteranyi communities remain expecting that the youth centers will bring more positive changes and youth empowerment by building models of trainings support, such as learning how to start small and medium businesses and capacity in decision making for the development of local effects of their interest. Ngara district in Tanzania also built a training center with the same objective of strengthening its youth’s capacity.
OutPatient Department, Lukole Health Center, LADP Tanzania
In addition, LADP Tanzania is strengthening access to primary and secondary education for sustainable development in building and rehabilitating schools of Ngara District namely in Mukugwa village which constructed classrooms, teachers’ accommodation and administrative blocs, Bukiriro village built dormitory for 80 girls and a bloc of toilets, dining hall, kitchen and store, Lemera youth center rehabilitated existing buildings and access road to the center and fenced it. In Rusumo village, Kyenda Primary school constructed classrooms, teacher accommodation and blocs of toilets. In Nyamiyaga, Miterama secondary school constructed laboratory block for Physics, Chemistry, Biology courses, administration block and staff house. Ngoma village rehabilitated Ngoma Primary school and built one block of 3 classrooms. Benaco villages rehabilitated Rusumo Secondary school with 2 dormitories for boys and girls and constructed two more dormitories (for boys and girls) as well as a dining hall, store and kitchen.
Mr. Aidan Bahama, Ngara DED stated that, “Ngara district prioritized access to quality education as a long-term social investment that will reap long term benefits and positive change to communities in their social and economic context”. He added that, “The district wants that every child in their villages develop knowledge, skills, values and behaviors needed for basic education”.
It is about facilitating children to enroll at nearest school in their villages in the best conducive environment which will increase success at school, particularly girls’ students and pupils. It is about building sustainable communities around the Rusumo Power Plant being constructed.
Rusumo Primary School equipped, LADP Tanzania
