Economic Empowerment

Shigeru Kondo, the Charge D'Affaires at the Japan Embassy, said the grant will help empower vulnerable people in the country, especially women and other marginalised persons.

Shigeru said AVEGA-Agahozo, an association of widows of the Genocide, will construct a community centre in Nyarugunga sector, Kicukiro district to empower the widows.

"The centre will help the Genocide widows to have workshops in their own space. It will also give them an opportunity to run income-generating activities," he said. "We shall continue to assist grassroots activities in Rwanda as our contribution to achieving Vision 2020."

Shigeru said other projects that benefited from the grant include construction of a kindergarten in Nyanza (Gira Impuhwe Association), and one for improving livelihoods and food security of women and the vulnerable population in Gahunga sector, Burera district.

A storage facility and six water tanks will be constructed to ensure stable storage of food crops such as potatoes throughout the year.

Chantal Kabasinga, the president of AVEGA Agahozo, said it has been a big challenge for the members of the organisation to display their artefacts.

"With the Rwf63 million that we have been given, we shall be able to have our own place where we can showcase our products. We shall also be able to hold workshops and empower ourselves in other aspects besides income generating activities," she said, adding that the centre will be established in a year.

Drocella Kruger Mukarugwira, the legal representative of Gira Impuhwe, an association helping widows and orphans with school fees and scholastic materials, said they will start a kindergarten for poor children. Gira Impuhwe received $118,287 (about Rwf75m).