By Eroge Rukundo
Dufatanye Organization, in partnership with Suyana Foundation from Switzerland, inaugurated two boreholes containing clean water in Nyanza district, Rwabicuma sector, Mubuga cell, Kadusenyi and Karwiru villages. These boreholes will benefit more than 1200 people located in these villages who previously did not have access to clean water.
This inauguration took place on 2nd August, 2024 in Mubuga cell, Rwabicuma sector, which celebrated together with the Umuganura national festival in this cell.
Cecile Nyiramana expressed how they had suffered due to the lack of clean water and the solution they will continue to benefit from based on the inaugurated boreholes. She says: “Unclean water brought us many problems, like spending much time at health centres because of diseases caused by it. Fortunately, Dufatanye Organization asked us what problems we face. We told them about the problem of unclean water. Today, we have the solution we needed as a key part of the development process.”
Dominique Nzabandora, who lives in that area, also emphasized how they used to get diseases from unclean water and the benefits that the boreholes will bring. He says: “We have faced problems from unclean water from swamps containing worms. We are going to use this opportunity effectively to survive well and, along with eating vegetables, have a better life.”
Godfrey Karema, the CEO of Dufatanye Organization, encouraged the community surrounding the inaugurated boreholes to form committees to protect them in order to ensure their sustainability.
He says: “We thank the Government of Rwanda for its help and also, we thank Suyana Foundation for their huge support to this water project you and more like toilet construction and rain water harvesting. We give you water and encourage you to protect these boreholes effectively by establishing community protection committees that will help you use them for a long time.”
Immaculee Niwemwana, Executive Secretary of the Rwabicuma sector, advised her fellow residents to use this welfare support effectively, which will enable them to achieve better things in the future.
She says: “Protecting these boreholes as much as possible will help you in your daily life and future. The more you protect what you have gained, the more you will gain in the future. You should work hard to prepare your houses for getting water tanks.”
These boreholes are in the form of Nayikondo, which means water extracted from the soil. Dufatanye Organization aims to continue distributing clean water to people and providing water tanks for holding rainwater, which will also help in fighting against soil erosion.
The Government of Rwanda aims to decentralize clean water access to 100 percent of the country, enabling all Rwandans to get clean water easily without long journeys.
