On 15th April 2015, the Ministry of Natural Resources with stakeholders visited Gashaki Model Green village, Musanze District, in order to eyewitness the achievements of the “Supporting Ecosystem Rehabilitation and protection for pro poor Green Growth project”.

The joint visit to Gashaki Green Village and Ruhondo Lake Watershed Rehabilitation aimed at having a common understanding of the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) sector achievements and challenges on the ground.

Gashaki Green village, which is still under construction, will accommodate 152 households who will be relocated from the islands in Ruhondo Lake. Beneficiaries will be provided with biogas digesters, water harvesting tanks and two cows per family to help them get cow dung for biogas and improve their nutrition. The families will also be helped to form cooperatives to create off-farm jobs which will improve their standard of living.

Speaking to Gashaki sector residents, Hon. Vincent BIRUTA encouraged Gashaki village beneficiaries to own and expand development services being provided to them, as it is for their own benefit.

“This project is meant to help you access infrastructures and improve your livelihoods. We want you to own these facilities provided to you and encourage others to protect them,”Hon.Biruta told Gashaki village beneficiaries.

Gashaki Green Village is being constructed by REMA through the “Supporting Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Protection for Pro-poor Green Growth Programme (SERPG)” funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and “Vulnerable Ecosystem Recovery Programme (VERP) towards Climate Change resilience” financed by Rwanda's Fund for Environment and Climate Change (FONERWA) and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).

Activities to construct Gashaki Green Village are expected to end by July 2015 and the resettlement will kick off immediately after. Around Rwf2 billion has been earmarked for the construction of the village.

The target is to relocate 254 households living on Ruhondo and Burera lakes islands. “By relocating the families living on Ruhondo and Burera lakes islands, REMA aims to provide a solution to challenges they were facing; mainly lack of health centers, clean water, schools and electricity; as well as always travelling in a boat to access any service,” Dr. Rose MUKANKOMEJE, Director General of REMA noted during the visit.

“These challenges were putting their lives at risk. But, once relocated to the model villages, they will have access to those facilities and their children will go to school with ease, “she added.

Residents of Ruhondo and Burera Lake Islands welcomed the relocation, saying they were facing many risks and living in isolation.

“Life was hard with no markets to sell our produce and no schools. It was also difficult to get our wives to health centres in case of labor or whenever one fell sick,”Vedaste Nkurikiyimana, a resident on one of Ruhondo Island said.

Supporting Ecosystem Rehabilitation and protection for pro poor Green Growth is a five year UNDP supported project implemented by REMA in Northern, Eastern and Western provinces of Rwanda. The major components of this programme include selecting, rehabilitating and protecting fragile ecosystems; improving livelihoods of the vulnerable households; and the establishment of knowledge management on ecosystem rehabilitation and protection.