If you happen to stay in Rwanda for more than a month, you would surely have heard the word Saturday “Umuganda “, also sometimes called “Community Workday” it is very obvious. and you cannot miss that. Therefore, Today is the first Umuganda of 2019.
Umuganda is a word in Kinyarwanda which means “come together to realise a difficult task”, The practice dates back for centuries in Rwandan culture, where people would request friends, family and the community, in general, to come and help them realise a demanding task, such as Building a house, farming, transporting sick people to hospitals or help vulnerable and old people.
Since 1998, Rwanda reintroduced the activity in order to rebuild its socio-economic growth as a solution to limited resources, And today, Umuganda takes place from 8:00 A.M to 11:00 A.M Every last Saturday of the month, and brings together hundreds of people aged 18 to 65 years who are physically able.
During the three hours, businesses are closed and streets empty. In towns, people contribute to cleaning streets, cutting grass and trimming bushes along roads, or fixing public facilities. In rural areas, the participants contribute to repairing roads, planting trees, building houses for vulnerable people or cleaning wells. Individuals with certain skills sometimes offer their services free. For instance, doctors might provide free medical examination.
People like it, for some it is an opportunity to meet neighbours and share. Moreover, local organizers facilitate the discussion of current challenges, and the community propose solutions.