Services and facilities most desired to improve quality of life

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

5.3. IMPACT OF THE GE OCIDE ON INFRASTRUCTURE

5.3.7. Services and facilities most desired to improve quality of life

Table 5.28 highlights needs of households to improve the quality of life. Water and electricity scored relatively high 64% and 22%, respectively. Electricity supply (64%).

land for cultivation (28%) and water supply (22%) were services most needed by households. Then came health centres (6%). places of worship (6%) and teiephone- internet (5%). Water is a big problem for households as they have to buy thiS commodity or to fetch it when it becomes more and more scarce. The whole country faced a shortage of electricity atter the genocide for two demographic and environmental reasons. First. the population in to\\ns increased considerably and demand surpassed supply. Second. the level of water of hydroelectric power dams on taruka River. in the orth of the country, decreased due to drought and agricultural irrigation. This affected the country \\ here. in Butare for in<;tance. households have on average of three hours electricity and \vater connection per day. Cyangugu town is still the only exception to provide power and water because of its position near the DR Congo which has a hydroelectric dam on the Rusizi River between the two countries.

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By and large, land was the Jl10st needed by households especially in suburbs.

Households in Musange Cell in Butare that moved from rural areas for security reasons were looking forward to peace and stability in their former settlement to go back for agriculture and livestock. On the other hand, electricity, internet and telephone were needed by urban households. This information was confirmed by leaders at all levels.

Table 5.28: Service Jllost needed by hou,ehold,(\J=100) (Multiple responses)

i ^{freQucnc) Perct:nl}

Water

I

^{22 22}

Ilealth celllre ^{(> (>}

Land 28 21\

Place or worship 6 6

Tel-internet 5 5

Electricity 64 64

5.3.7. Energy

Concerning the major combustibles u -ed for cooking and lighting, it emerged that after the genocide, most households in Butare and Cyangugu towns use wood or wood coal

(75%)

and paraffin

(82%).

Fitlecn percent prefer to use electricity and only two households thatch and gas (Table 5.:29). In Cyangugu, the average fuel expenses by households per month increased froJl1 3.410 Rwand an Franc (R WFR) before the genocide to 14.400 R WFR after the genocide that is four times as much. There was not much difference between downtown settlers and suburbs. In Butare town. household expenses on fuel for cooking was 2.348 R WFR before the genocide and

7.800

R WFR after in downtown areas and 74 R WFR before the genocide against

300

Rwfr after the genocide for settlers in suburbs.

Table 5.29: Fuellhe Jllost preferredb~ households(IF100) (Mulliple response,) - - - -

FreQucnt:\ Percent

Wood and wood coal r 75

Parafti n 81 1\2

Electricity 15 15

Gas I I

Thalch I I

117

5.3.7.1. Fuel/power for cooking hcforc and after fhe genocide.

Although households used \\'\wc! and/or c('<11 b.~r()re the genocide. the accessibility to wood decreased after the gcnocide Irpm g·1';';} [p 67% but coal increased l"om 28% to 49%. Wood became scarce and c\p<..'n.;iv~ hecause of the government's environmental policy to protect forests from destruction by people using firewood and timber for cooking and building. Coal consumption is difticult to control by the go ernmenl. The two latter sources of fuel are cheaper than other combustibles and it is accessible everywhere. Flectricity is too c\pcnsivc fnr people \"ith low inC0mes and it became rare I()r people in the town. especiall: in _I~utarc to\\I1. There is another type or '"uel for cooking col1sisting of all kinds cd' dr: thatch or crop residues (dry bUll,lna leaves.

vegetation waste.) used

by

the poorest in the Cells. Table

5.:iO

clearl) indicates the increase in coal use and the decreased use of wood and electricity lor cooking purposes.

There is a dilemma about o.;ource<; of fuel in th' countrv. On the one hand. the government discourages wood and coal C(1nSLlll1ption 101' households and on the olher hand there are no alternative sources 01' fuel available tor cooking.

5.3.7.2. Fuel for lighting before and after the genocide

Multiple <;ollrce<;

01'

fuel used for lidllin!l inciuded electricity. paranill. wood. th:llCh and candles. Owing to poverty. _M\l~" 01' h\)Lhc!lolds could nOl aflord electricil) I'lli' li;,;hting after the genocide. Regarding the electricity supply. Cl great effort is sti 11 to be made in Ihis area as households were supplied

or:!:\'

a

le,,,

hours per day, (\)ll1parccl to [3utare.

Cyangugu town ha:, a better surl'ly oi'cl..:ctricilY.

118

I\fter the genocide, most oftil\.' h,)u"dwld~(7:'°/;1) used parartin Clnd candles (41%). This use

01

candles and paraffin htlcl '·,!.=:ni,ic<.llllh inuC:,I"lcJ. Fe\\ pL:opk (-tS%d used paraniri before compared to those af'ter e:,pccially hec,lLIsc electricity became rare. 1\150 the use of candles increased from

26%

berme the genocide to 41% after the genocide. The decrease of wood and thatch consumption was a result of the government policy to protect the environment. Other sources rerresentcd by 4% before alld 7°,~ after the g nocide are cow-dung used in "Ollle suburban households cllld a range

01'

gadgets using batreries (Table 5.3J).

In CY3ngugu town, the average lighting I'uel expenses increased from 2.462 Rwandan Francs per month/household hdorc the genocide to

9.nO

R WFR aftcr lhl' genocide, which is about <1- limes. In Butare Town lighting expenses rose from 1.780R WFR helore the genocide in downtown households to

6.300

R WFR ,llld from -l7RWFR to _{_~7n} R WFR in the suburban household".

Tahle 5,31: Source "fruel ror lightlllg hell)re ;lIld aner the genocidt' (n=IOO) (Multiple rc'ponsl'.;l

I ^Pararfin

, F.lcctricll\ 1¹

'I (·nl1dl<.;" . fh~ldl

I

^{OtherI C,)\V}dUll!!. h;lIleric,)

L '

I _ _

~~le,~Jt:!·<)-1-~-~l

"

; , I

I

^\Vood

---,--

Ikfon:1()9-1

l

2'1 -15 1(,

~I⁽⁷⁾ - 1 1 "

1.1

._-1_~.

^{_ _}

~

^{_ _}

.~

I\skcd ht)\\ they coped with the problem or cllcrg:. leaders relied Oil the U('C(rogu~

plan'> to rroclllcc electricit) rrom the methane gas of I.ake Kivu \\ ith a capacity of between

200

to

700MW.

There \\as also a plan Itlr building another hydroelectric darn on the yangabo River to be shared by TClnzania, _R\\~lnda and Burundi. With regard to services and facilities, the most wanted was \\ater, electricity and health centres in both Butare and Cyangllgu _especiall~ in l3ut3re. rhe 1l13in prohlem or \ ater 3nd electricity supply is both technical and demographic. The population of towns grew faster than the provision 0fservices.

119