The beneficiaries of the Justice And Peace Commission Of Kigali Archdiocese celebrated the International Environment Day on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
The project participants (with 70% women and 30% men) in Ngeruka sector, through their roles as farmers and as collectors of water and firewood, have a close connection with their local environment and often suffer most directly from environmental problems.
They plant trees in the fields
For instance, thanks to the direct support from the projects, women’s direct contact with environment has produced them deep-knowledge about the environment. Thus, women have served as agriculturalists, and water resource manager among others. They are not only knowledgeable about the environment, but they are also protective and caring.
Therefore, the need to protect the environment becomes imperative. Project participants have recorded successes in solving environmental problems all over the target area.
In Ngeruka sector, the women realized that degradation of productive land has led to reduction of farming production. Hence, due to the long dry season and heavy rain and wind seasons, different suitable strategies were taken under the projects support.
Here CDJP Kigali distinguishes between three roles for project participants in Ngeruka sector especially for women:
Women as managers or maintainers of the natural environment: women have learnt to use organic manure, selected hybrid seeds, Promote efficient water usage at home by rain water collection plastic tanks, establishing modern livestock housing.
Women as rehabilitators of the natural environment in the sense of sustainable development: women have learnt and are able to make trees nurseries, planting and distribution of agro-forestry trees, reforestation, making terraces and tiring rooftops of houses.
Women have learnt and are able to irrigate crops by using solar energy system
Women as innovators in the use of appropriate technology in the creation of new environments: women have learnt and are able to irrigate crops by using solar energy system, storing seed crops in appropriate and modern plastic bags, Making the organic manure by using the animal wastes and crops residues and using it to fertilize their land, use of electricity to light their houses instead of kerosene.
