Rwanda to start headcount of survivors from 1994 genocide

Rwanda said Thursday it will start a census program to establish the total number of disadvantaged survivors from the 1994 genocide in the country with a view of seeking ways of how they can be supported.

The Rwanda News Agency (RNA) quoted a statement from the Ministry of Local Government as saying the census aims to enable the government come up with "real figure" of people that have been left unable to support themselves. Among them includes orphans, widows and the disabled.

The census, to be conducted between April 21 and 25, will be carried out in local estates, locally known as Imidugudu, and the report should be handed to the government for consideration in June.

The announcement of the census comes at a time when the country has just ended the commemoration of the annual genocide week. The statement also appears in line with this year's theme "Remembrance as we support the survivors."

The issue of who actually should benefit from the several multi-million-dollar programs put up by the government has been a heated one and at some point survivors have remained bitter with the belief that the government has done very little to help them.

The government injects up to 3 percent of annual budgetary allocations for programs meant to support the thousands of helpless survivors of the carnage.

Sadly however, last year a parliamentary investigation committee found that several million Rwandan Francs had been wasted in dubious means mainly through shoddy constructions that the survivors were expected to call home.

Besides, there have been rising voices among genocide survivors about their welfare. Some of the young ones that are in school have often complained about their well-being. (1 U.S. dollar=550 Rwandan Francs)

Source: Xinhua