Category: Environment

{{A total of 3300 trees have been planted during a 21-day MTN ‘yellow care’ campaign at six sites in Kigali city and upcountry.
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Speaking at the conclusion of the ‘yellow care’ campaign at Rulindo district, the MTN Rwanda CEO Khaled Mikkawi noted, “It has been 21 days that have made a difference and will continue to make a difference. Almost one million nursery bed trees will in the near future help all Rwandans”.

Mikkawi commended the existing strong public-private partnership particularly the great collaboration the company has enjoyed with the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and the Ministry of Local Government through various district authorities and the City Council of Kigali.

Present at the ceremony REMA’s Director General, Rose Mukankomeje thanked MTN involvement in environmental conservation saying, “I have noted MTN demanding us to buy airtime and others services which require money. It is good since the company knows where this money is coming from. If Rwanda doesn’t get enough rain, even money to buy such MTN products can’t be seen”.

She challenged other business companies to do the same and involve in social activities that are helpful to the community.

The Mayor of Rulindo district, Justus Kangwagye, hailed the activity as a reward of MTN to the district for the support in buying MTN telephones recently.

He said that the district through BRD bought telephones worth Frw 35M for the people and that now MTN has rewarded them in greening the environment in the area.

In further contribution to global conservation efforts, MTN Rwanda will join its sister companies across Africa and the Middle East in planting 150,000trees by December 2011.

The 150,000 trees target has been set to celebrate MTN Group reaching 150M subscriber mark milestone and each operation will plant a minimum of 7,500 trees.

The 21 days of ‘Yellow Care’ also involved the construction of two energy saving cooking stoves at a rehabilitation center at Gikondo sector, Kicukiro district and another one at Musha at an orphanage and building terraces for soil conservation including waste management and recycling activities in Kigali and Rulindo district.

The 21 days ended in an event signifying the preparation of tree nursery beds for future tree planting in the district of Rulindo, Bushoke sector and the cell of Mukoto.

{{Charcoal users will soon be relieved from chocking smoke as the new eco-friendly stove sets to dominate in Rwandan homes, the first of its kind cooker was introduced by Enviro Fuel a Florida based company in the US. The stove is in line with the governments’ campaign to combat air pollution through the use of bio fuel.}}

Moreover, what makes the stove pro-poor is its design which is cost effective given that it only uses only 10 ounces of coal to cook a day’s meal, what’s interesting is that the cooker is attached with a gadget that uses the heat to charge cell phones as well as light up to three bulbs, a fact that makes it useful in rural areas.

Manuel Onege the company’s Africa representative added that stove reduced the cost of fuel from US $175 to US $90 annually. He was backed by Enviro President Harry Hunt who praised the stove’s durability which lasts for more than 25 years.

However, Onege further pointed out that despite the fact there’s a challenge in getting coal locally, the company aims to do tests on peat (Nyiramugegeri) a type coal obtained from clay merged with charcoal.

Enviro Fuel also aims to start an industry in Rwanda which will serve as a market to other African countries. So far the stove has been introduced in neighboring Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Nigeria.

Still its US$ 92 cost is unaffordable to the vulnerable that’s why the company is in talks with microfinance institutions to provide credit to interested buyers.

Yussuf Uwamahoro, who is in charge of energy at the Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA commended the stove adding that it contemplated governments efforts to enhance use of bio fuel. He added that 85 percent of the population relies on biomass as a source of energy while 4 percent depend on electricity and 11 percent on other oil products.

{{The Ministry of Natural Resources (MINIRENA) has introduced reforms meant to improve the role of stakeholders in planning and implementation of environmental conservation activities. }}

The reforms will enhance close coordination between government and stakeholders with an aim to facilitate decentralization of the projects.

According to MINIRENA permanent Secretary Caroline Kayonga, the ministry is working on a strategy that aims to involve stakeholders’ role in various activities such as the integration of environmental and natural resources program.

“We have to avoid duplication of efforts from partners and we also need to inspect if the stakeholders especially NGO’s are full filling their objectives,” remarked Janvier Ntalindwa, a program officer with the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR).

Chrysostom Sayine from Rwanda Environmental Conservation Organization (RECO) hoped that the dialogue would enhance capacity building among members as well as advocate for more funds to conclude some of the hanging projects.