Guest blog: Marcellin Gasana - Umuganda
| 15:00 UK time, Sunday, 24 October 2010
This blog post was written by Marcellin from Rwanda. The views expressed are his own and do not reflect those of the wider ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳.
Umuganda can involve building schools and other community projects
Never been to Rwanda before? Here is what you should know about this land of a thousand hills.
Rwanda is a mountainous land with a moderate climate - but always carry an umbrella with you, because you never know when it might rain. The sky is blue at 8 o'clock in the morning; but may turn grey the next hour - and then the downpour comes.
Kigali, the capital, is the cleanest city in the whole Great Lakes Region - thanks to "Umuganda", or community service, that takes place every last Saturday of the month.
Everyone has to participate - from government officials, parliamentarians, members of the various diplomatic missions to Rwanda, members of the army and police, as well as ordinary citizens.
Roads and businesses are closed. Everyone reports to their community organiser with the cards to get a stamp and a signature after the service.
How does it work?
People clean the streets, buildings, trenches, and work in public gardens. Sometimes they build houses and schools for poor communities.
As a Rwandan who was born and grew up here, I personally know Umuganda - for I participated several times. It originated from former regime, but it was a bit different then, as it happened every Saturday and no cards or stamp or signature were applied to prove that you participated.
Some people believe this Umuganda service has played a big role in helping reunite Rwandans (Hutus and Tutsis) with everyone working alongside each other. Indeed, this helped much in improving the community and social infrastructures.
In my opinion, whether you are a Hutu or a Tutsi, whether you like it or not, you definitely need to use a road that looks clean, go to a market that is not dirty and live in a decent neighborhood. You can't run away from this reality because the country belongs to both.
For sure this service has helped much in changing the image of Rwanda from a dirty country once tattered by the genocide into a green land of smiles. As you travel around the country, streets look clean, green spaces are maintained on daily basis, dustbins have been placed in all public places and old buildings are repainted every year.
For me, Umuganda is a concept that should be spread across the whole African continent - and why not even to other continents - to make our world a clean and better place to live in.
