Red Cross Beneficiary in Nyagatare district
Red Cross Rwanda is helping Rwandan communities to recover from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic which has largely affected the business community and the whole community at large.
The organization says that it has spent Rwf65Million in recovery efforts specifically in Nyagatare district− Eastern Province.
As part of this initiative, last week Red Cross handed over Rwf17.9Million to 150 vulnerable people whose business were largely affected by the pandemic.
The organization availed Rwf119,300 on every person’s mobile money account. However, the recovery fund finds other Covid-19 prevention equipment that was donated to the same beneficiaries to combat the transmission.
The Red Cross Covid-19 recovery fund beneficiaries comprise poor people, people living with disabilities, widows, and orphans.
Other 150 families that also benefited from the funds were grouped in horticulture farming and livestock groups and were given fertilizers and seeds to increase harvest.
“The recovery fund targets vulnerable families that were hit by Covid-19 pandemic which affected the whole country and the world at large. So, Red Cross as a partner to the government thought about helping people, mostly vulnerable ones whose projects were damaged,” said Florence Umurisa, the Head of Disaster Response and Recovery.
Umulisa said that the recovery fund worth Rwf65Million for the vulnerable people located in the Nyagatare district also was used to pay for their health insurance.
She added that beneficiaries established and explained their projects which was a criteria to qualify.
Jeanne d’Arc Muhawenimana, representative of Red Cross in Eastern province said that her organisation targets having healthy and developed people.
Florance Umulisa
Muhawenimana also noted that initially Red Cross Rwanda supported disaster victims by giving them various items and equipment but the organization has also sought to help people using cashless means guided by the government.
“Donating money using cashless means is a good example to encourage beneficiaries to use cashless means. It is also in line with achieving the government goal of becoming a cashless economy. But it also promotes their saving ability,” Muhawenimana said.
Emannuel Rwanzire, one of the beneficiaries and once a teacher in a local private school said that when Covid-19 hit the country his contract was terminated.
“With this fund, I will buy a bicycle and for transport of people and goods. After getting the money, I will sit for the ministry of education examinations, get the academic documents that recognize me as a qualified teacher,” Rwanzire said.
