Rwanda : Returnees equipped with basic skills

The third phase, of the Project Enhancing   Socio-Economic Reintegration Opportunities for returnees includes training them in different basic skills.

The projected by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration with the support from the government of Japan kicked off with trainings to returnees in a bid to equip returnees with basic skills.

“It’s necessary to have returnees acquire basic skills to survive, it will help them catch up with the country’s development,” H.E Kuno Hatanaka, Japanese special envoy says.

The refugee returnees and other vulnerable people will be helped to acquire skills to generate income when reintegrated into a community.

“Refugee returnees are used to free handouts, which makes them reluctant to cater for their needs hence the requirement to give them survival means,” Antoine Ruvebana, permanent secretary in the ministry of refugees and disaster management revealed, calling upon returnees to think big.

Over 11,000 returnees will benefit from the trainings and other programmes.

Training courses include carpentry, masonry, welding, knitting, tailoring, mechanics and hairdressing.

Most of the returnees hail from Democratic Republic of Congo, where they escaped to after committing genocide atrocities in Rwanda, in 1994.