A wet and cold morning did not prevent Rwandans across the country to leave their beds Saturdayand go for community work – Umuganda closing the month of October 2017.
Every Rwandan aged 18 and above is obliged to attend umuganda.
Officials including President Kagame, Members of Parliament joined communities in different parts of the country in leveling feeder roads, clearing shrubs and mainly, planting trees.
Today’s Umuganda coincided with national tree planting day under the theme ‘Forests, the pillar of sustainable Development’.
Umuganda also coincided with launch of planting season where Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente joined residents of Nyagatare district in planting trees at Nyagatare Sector, Rutaraka Cell.
At this site, Ngirente and Nyagatare residents were expected to plant 50,383 agro forestry trees on 30 hectares.
Countrywide, communities planted trees in designated areas but also took home some fruit trees.
A total 45,729 hectares of agroforestry and 3,253 hectares of forest trees will be planted while 768 hectares of degraded forests will be rehabilitated across the country.
Rwanda’s forests cover 696,402 ha (29.6%) of the country’s total land area. Over 258,000 ha are natural forests and savannah.