Burera: Women spearheading unity and reconciliation

Women of Cyanika sector, in Burera District have recommended a women program dubbed akagoroba ka abagore (Ladies Evening) as a strong tool for unity and reconciliation.

Member of Parliament Liberatha Mukarindiro asked Cyanika women to formulate groups depending on their shared daily routine work.

“The seminar was aimed at getting citizens’ opinions on unity and reconciliation, as part of the government’s target to have 100% achievement in unity” MP Liberatha said similar conferences will be held countrywide through 2013.

The MP revealed that statistics show that 80% Rwandans agreed that unity and reconciliation has been attained whereas the remaining 20% refuted that there is still dis unity among Rwandans Rwandans’ perception of unity and reconciliation.

Through a brain storming sessions during the seminar, the participants suggested that having regular meetings can be extremely resourceful to women’s involvement in peace building.

Christine Nyirahabimana is the chairperson of “akagoroba k’abagore” in Cyanika Sector. She says through the program, they have mobilized a large number of women with whom they meet almost weekly to discuss the challenges of unity and reconciliation vis-à-vis on how to strengthen unity.

“In a communal way, we also do counseling and support to each other. This has, in a way has helped solve a number of household problems.” Nyirahabimana says.

Initiatives of maintaining unity and reconciliation are a responsibility of both chambers of Rwanda’s Parliament, where every Member of Parliament or Senate has been assigned a particular sub county to work on.