Almost one month after the government in Kigali imposed a partial lockdown to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, members of the Rwandan diaspora in South Sudan have raised about $16,500 to support thousands of their compatriots who are affected by the situation back home.
According to an official report made available to APA late on Monday, those who contributed toward are individuals engaged in petty and medium enterprises while others work for UN agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations and private companies in South Sudan.
Reports of Rwandans who were previously employed as casual workers and those who have lost their jobs and expressed frustration over not getting any financial aid have already surfaced in the media.
The leadership of the Rwandan community in South Sudan approached the members and shared them with the idea of contributing as part of the fraternity and giving back to the community which they all welcomed and started pledging.
“It took us two weeks to ensure that all Rwandan working in different states of this country have received messages and have coordinated to send their contributions,” Jules Uwimana, the Chairman of the Rwandese Diaspora in South Sudan said.
“It is a moral obligation for every able citizen to give back to our communities affected by the pandemic. I thank every member of the Rwandan diaspora in South Sudan for the support and encouraging our families in Rwanda to respect the measures of our leadership to control and prevent the spreading of COVID-19. Together we will overcome it” Uwimana added.
Reports released last Thursday by health officials in Rwanda indicate that no new COVID-19 case was recorded out of 1,299 tests for the virus.
Instead, four new patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 80 and the number of active cases to 67.
The cumulative number of confirmed cases remains 147 registered late on Sunday.
CU/as/APA