The Handover Ceremony of “the Project for Improving Access to WASH Facilities in Two Villages in Rubavu District” and the Signing Ceremony of “The Project for Improvement of Sanitation Conditions in Flood Affected Areas in Rubavu District” under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP/Kusanone)
The tape cutting
Ambassador with a cup of water poured from the rainwater tank
Ambassador FUKUSHIMA briefed by HIHD on a micro-flush toilet
Ambassador FUKUSHIMA and Mr. HATANGIMANA MUGABE Isaac, Legal Representative of HIHD
Speech by Ambassador FUKUSHIMA
An elderly woman from a household where a water purification tank was installed said that she used to have to go about 7 km away to get unclean water, but now she can get clean water in 5 minutes by taking water from a rainwater tank on her property and purifying it through the water filter, which saves her time.
Houses destroyed by the heavy rains and river flooding in early May
Dance performance by local residents
HIHD also provided a week of training to 15 community members and established a water and sanitation committee in each village. Committee members visit the facilities for once a week and have a meeting to report on usage and any damage. In this way, the facilities are managed by the residents themselves and can be used sustainably by the community.
After the handover, Ambassador FUKUSHIMA and Mr. HATANGIMANA MUGABE Isaac, Legal Representative of HIHD, signed a Grant Contract amounting up to 72,722 USD for the " Project for Improvement of Sanitation Conditions in Flood Affected Areas in Rubavu District."
Under this project, one set of micro-flush toilet and hand washing facility is to be provided to 40 households each in Rugerero, Nyundo, and Kanama Villages in Rubavu District, which were affected by heavy rains and subsequent river flooding in early May of this year.
In the affected areas, many toilets have been destroyed by the floods and are no longer usable, forcing residents to either defecate in the open or make emergency repairs to half-built toilets. The lack of hand washing facilities has greatly increased the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
This project aims to urgently improve the sanitary condition in the affected areas through the construction of micro-flush toilets and hand-washing facilities, thereby contributing to the recovery of the region.
Ambassador FUKUSHIMA said in his remarks: “I am honored to attend this ceremony. I would like to thank HIHD for their contribution to the water and sanitation sector in Rwanda, and I hope that HIHD continue their support to ensure that the facilities continue to be used by the local people in Kanembwe and Bihungwe Villages. And I hope that the new project will be successfully realized. Mr. Nzabonimupa Deogratias, the Acting Mayor of Rubavu District, expressed his appreciation to the Government and the people of Japan for this valuable assistance, and mentioned the importance of basic water and sanitation services in local communities. Mr. HATANGIMANA thanked the Embassy of Japan and said that HIHD will keep the good collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Rwanda, local administration, community members and other different stakeholders to make these projects sustainable and successful.
- ●Ijambo（August 18th）「Rubavu: Japan helped 380 residents get toilets and clean water」（in Kinyarwanda）
- ●umuseke（August 20th）「Japan is going to help 120 families left homeless by the Sebeya River」（in Kinyarwanda）
- ●Imvaho Nshya（August 21st）「Rubavu: Those who have been provided with clean water and toilets in their homes say that the government ships」（in Kinyarwanda）