Around 300 Women from Musanze District Commit to Protecting the Environment After Training by AKWOS and CECI

This was highlighted during a one-day training session that brought together women from various sectors of Musanze District. The training was part of ongoing celebrations for the International Day of Rural Women, under the theme: "A Woman is of Value."

Mrs.Rwemarika Felicite, the head of AKWOS, a non-governmental organization that promotes women’s development through sports, encouraged women to continue embracing environmental protection values. She said: “We’ve trained you in various topics related to environmental protection, like how to use energy-saving stoves. Some women still cook on open fires using firewood, which releases smoke that harms the environment. We want rural women to advance. We've also seen how they’re now turning plastic into useful items. We continue encouraging them to form cooperatives and work together for development.”

Mrs. Olive Zimurinda is the Director of CECI Rwanda, an international organization focused on sustainable development and environmental protection. She said: "Today, we are celebrating the International Day of Rural Women. A woman’s role in addressing climate change starts with learning and understanding it. She must know that she should plant trees and avoid using plastic bags and other harmful plastics.” 

She continued: "A woman has a vital role to play in protecting the environment. In fact, some are even turning waste into useful products. The message we are sharing is that women must awaken to their responsibility and recognize their contribution to development.”

Mrs. Mutuyimana Esperance, who represents the group of Abateramahoro in Muhoza sector , said: "As women, we sat down and discussed how we could create jobs. You know that plastics harm the environment, as well as other non-biodegradable waste. We decided to collect and sort it. You’ve seen how we make various things from plastic—flowers, earrings, hair decorations, and children’s play items.”

She added: "When a field is full of plastic bags and bottles, crops don’t grow properly. When these plastic items end up in rivers, they destroy aquatic life. That’s why we have committed ourselves to continue playing our part in environmental protection.”