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Rwanda: Inter-Faith Group Launches Water Project
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The East African (Nairobi)
5 May 2008
Posted to the web 5 May 2008
Catherine Riungu
Nairobi
Poverty and underdevelopment in Africa provide fertile ground for conflict, but religious leaders working together can play a crucial role in promoting both development and peace on this continent, a cleric has said.
Rev Dr Ishmael Noko, president of Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (Ifapa), while launching Kirehe community water project in Rwanda's Eastern Province, said co-operation between religious communities and public and private sectors could foster rapid development for Africa.
"This is a historic milestone for interfaith co-operation and public and private partnerships in Africa," he said.
The project will supply safe water to 21,600 people and is funded by Nestlé SA, a nutrition and health company, with operations across Africa.
It is being implemented through the Lutheran World Foundation Department for World Service programme in Rwanda.
Rwanda's Minister for Water, Environmental and Natural Resources, Bikoro Munyanganizi, highlighted the need for commitment, partnership and good management of resources, as he officially inaugurated the project, accompanied by Dr Noko and Niels Christiansen, global vice president of public affairs of Nestlé Group.
Mr Christiansen said his company is committed to promoting access to clean water in the face of a growing global water crisis.
"With a manufacturing presence in Africa since 1927 and products in 53 African countries, Nestlé has been involved in helping to tackle some of the continent's key challenges for decades," he said.
Dr Noko said the Kihere water project addresses one of the key human development needs in Africa, universal access to safe water, and the particular burden that the lack of access to safe water places on women and children.
He said the provision of the piped water services in Kihere supplements existing water infrastructure and contributes to ensure access to water and sanitation facilities.
This is expected to have a significant positive impact on health, hygiene and economic output for the community. Supplying water directly to schools will greatly reduce the burden on children and mothers, who spend up to 12 hours collecting the minimum of 60 litres which a family needs for domestic use every day.
Under the oversight of the Inter-Religious Council of Rwanda, the Ifapa Water Project is managed by a local water users' committee.
The committee includes representatives from all major religious communities in the particular area. Women are well represented on the water users' committee and will play a key role in ensuring community ownership and good management of the project.
"We are committed to manage the water system," said Marie Jeanne Uwanyirigira, secretary of the water users' committee. "We know we have to ensure that when the system has a problem we are responsible to ensure it is rectified."
Sheikh Yussuf Bizuru, grand imam of Rwanda's Eastern Province, who represented the mufti of Rwanda Sheikh Saleh Habimana, said
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"This project not only brings water to those who lacked it before, it also offers to the rest of Africa and the world a model of harmonious interfaith co-operation for development and peace."
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