Food distribution in Kigali
The city of Kigali has availed a toll-free number one can call to get food support in case of any food scarcity during the COVID-19 lockdown.
According to the official statement released on Monday 6 April 2020, an individual with no food during the COVID-19 lockdown should dial 3260 to get food support.
“The City of Kigali informs public that as we observe lockdown directives, we have established a toll-free number that you can call to get food support, for those people without food,” the statement reads.
The statement adds, “Let’s stay home as we prevent spreading of CPOVID-19.”
For the City of Kigali to manage these calls, the toll-free number is working as a call center which directs to four other numbers to allow all the people calling to be received.
According to city officials, one may call to ask to be considered on the list of people who can benefit food support.
Upon calling, the city will not rush food to the complainant, rather, they will refer the complaint to people on ground-village and Isibo level.
These people will look into the matter, see of the complainant qualifies and thereafter file a report.
Qualifying for the food relief should be; people who do not have the means to survive due to the measures of fighting Coronavirus that were established by the government.
They should also be people who had a job/work prior to the lockdown and are no longer doing it due to the measures that were taken to fight COVID-19.
The beneficiary and her/his spouse or his/her guardian should be in the incapability of working.
The person who qualifies should also be a person who did not benefit from cooperative dividends during COVID-19 lockdown.
They shouldn’t be beneficiaries of any other support including Vision 2020 Umurenge Program(VUP), FARG or other supports that are given by well-wishers in villages by neighbors or others.
Local leaders are tasked to enforce this and to select beneficiaries equitably and with impartiality.
According to an official in the city of Kigali:” this new move will avoid misreporting about the process of food distribution. The issue will be reported to whom is concerned instead of reporting to the media which, at the en of the day, would not even solve the problem.”
The government is distributing food from its stock, plus food that comes from pledges of companies and organizations to support the activity.
Some support comes in the form of money, while others are in tons of provisions.
The food is distributed equitably as it reaches the stocks.
Meanwhile, the cabinet members, senior officials and director generals of public institutions have forfeited their salaries of April to support social activities during COVID-19 lockdown.
