As part of efforts to reconstruct Rwanda and nurture a shared national identity, the Government of Rwanda drew on aspects of Rwandan culture and traditional practices to enrich and adapt its development programs to the country’s needs and context.
The result is a set of Home Grown Solutions – culturally owned practices translated into sustainable development programs. One of these Home Grown Solutions is the community dialogues where citizens sit together and discuss different topics including regularizing land matters.
Land in Rwanda is one of the primary livelihood assets of rural citizens. Yet, with Rwanda’s population density the highest in Africa land is extremely precious for communities and oftentimes a source of conflict. As such, land in Rwanda has emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing the government of Rwanda and Rwandan citizens, heralding a need for broad information sharing about land matters coupled with solid research on land issues that can feed an adaptive policy environment.
It is against this background that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding different initiative aiming to solve land issues in a peaceful and effective way as well as empowering and contributing to the socio-Economic development among local communities.
On Friday, 5th December, 2014, the USAID has visited local communities in Huye District of the Southern Province where it held discussions centered to the wellbeing of citizens as well as supporting good governance and women empowerment among other initiatives.
During the visit, citizens were given time to recount their success stories among them Mukamparaye Anastasie, 55, explained how dialogue Groups through land committee helped her ends a long land disputes that she had with her own brother.
It was on Friday, 11h00 A. M in Nyakibanda Cell, Kamabuye village in Gishamvu Sector of Huye District.
Residents were sitting under the Tree called “Igiti cy’Amahoro” loosely translated “Tree of Peace” where they were addressing different issues that negatively impinge on their communities.
This is becoming their routine as the sector’s Executive Secretary says “It is the typical and effective way where local communities come together and hold a constructive dialogue on community level” to help each other addressing some challenges the majority of them being land conflicts.
Residents commend these kinds of dialogues affirming that they are effective while at the same time contributing to the peace-building and unity among their communities.
As an example, Mukamparaye said she had land wrangle with her own brother who, she said, denied her to inherit her land portion saying that a woman has no right to inheritance.
Mukamparaye says that land conflicts made her go searching a witch who can help her to end his brother’s life.
In her own testimony she says “I asked my brother to give me my rights and he replied that the woman does not have any right to heritage. After that I chose to seek a witchdoctor who can help me to solve that problem.”
Mukamparaye explains that “I travelled long distances from Gishamvu to Nyaruguru District to meet a witch in an area called Rusenge.
However, “When I reached there for the first day the Witch was not there and I without more ado returned to my village.” “May be I can confirm that my brother plays a real God who saved him from that witch”
How Mukamparaye Joins Dialogue Group rather than believing in Witch
“When I came back in my village I met several people whom I told the problem I had with my brother.”
Mukamparaye says that “After telling them my problem they advised me to address it to the Dialogue Group which requested me to go and come with my brother to be able to address our problem and mediate us.”
She says “When we came, the dialogue group and land committee educated my brother and I. We all agreed to solve the issue and my brother agreed to give me my heritage and today we are living kindly. He visits me and I visit him.”
“I think this Group and land committee for the role they played in mediating and solving our problem.”
In addition Mukamparaye said she can no longer waste her time looking for witchcrafts for that reason she advises people with the similar cases to join dialogue and land committees in their respective community in order to help them finding long lasting solutions.
The USAID/Rwanda is likewise committed to these efforts and is impressed by the work already being done in this regard by the women and men of Rwanda.
You can also Watch this Kinyarwanda Video:
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