By Annonciata Byukusenge
The slogan Sleep Safely, Be Healthy now is a song of women in the Nyamagabe district after receiving Mattresses provided by Water Aid in a collaborative effort with the Nyamagabe District, to progress in improving community health through various hygiene and sanitation initiatives.
Vénantie Mukagakwaya is a woman 45 years old. She lives in the Gasaka sector, Karambi cell, Ngiryi village in Nyamagabe district.
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She has a testimony of how she survived more than 40 years of sleep on an uncomfortable bed.
“From my childhood not slept on a mattress. I always slept on herbals. Now I am very happy because I am going to sleep safely and think well. I thank the President Paul Kagame for boosting good governance. This is the fruit of good governance.”
Her colleagues Claudette Nyiramajyambere and Dancille Nyirahabimana are the beneficiaries of this initiative of District Health Umuhigo for 2024-2025. They say that they are going to improve the hygiene and sanitation in their homes because improving hygiene on herbal beds is not easy.
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The V/Mayor FED Thaddée Habimana in Nyamagabe district. He says that the families who have received mattresses have to share the experience with their neighbors, how to sleep on a good bed is an invaluable thing.
FED Thaddée got an opportunity to thank Water Aid their stakeholder and he promises them to continue their collaboration in a good way.
Those mattresses were provided to 255 households from 17 sectors of Nyamagabe district. The value of those mattresses is 18,956,700.
The families could have the intention of selling those mattresses to the black market, FED Thaddée Habimana says “We had discussions in different periods with those beneficiaries. Now they are transformed by this, and they will collaborate with health community workers to make sure that the hygiene and sanitation have improved in their families.”
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Nyamagabe District has made significant progress in improving community health through various hygiene and sanitation initiatives. Community Hygiene Clubs (CHCs) have played a crucial role in this progress. Recognizing their efforts, a new campaign titled ” Sleep Safely, Be Healthy (Duce Nyakatsi ku buriri) “/ District Health Umuhigo 2025-2025 aims to reward the best-performing CHCs with 255 mattresses district-wide, provided by Water Aid Rwanda. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the District, Health facilities, and Water Aid.
The objective of this initiative is to recognize and reward the efforts of the best-performing Community Hygiene Clubs in promoting hygiene and sanitation by focusing on hygiene in sleeping places; Encouraging continuous improvement; Promoting the importance of sleep; Promoting the prevalence and Strengthen partnerships between the District, Health facilities, and Water Aid in promoting community health.
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