Members of the Rwandan community in Germany gathered this week-end to initiate a collective service modeled on the Rwandan community work “Umuganda” for the needy people living in their regions.
They aimed at showing their solidarity with fellow countrymen who did “Umuganda” this Saturday in Rwanda.
Starting in January in the German capital Berlin as an initiative by the Rwandan youth who were organized by the newly established youth group “Ruanda Connection”, Rwandans joined social projects aimed at supporting the needy people of the German society.
The initiative was welcomed by the Rwandan community in Germany and this week-end Rwandans living in Cologne and Munich joined the youths in Berlin for the monthly community work.
Rwandans in Germany said that their objective was to show engagement for the German society and demonstrate that the Rwandan culture had something to offer even to a developed country.
On Friday evening youths living in Cologne helped preparing a warm meal and provided it outside to the homeless people. Their counterparts in Berlin also cared for the needy people and distributed warm soups in a soup kitchen. Members of the Rwandan community in Munich renovated a cultural center on Sunday.
A pleasant surprise for the youths in Berlin was the participation of the Rwandan Ambassador to Hungary Christine Nkulikiyinka with members of her family who donated food for the homeless to the catering ministry.
Ambassador Nkulikiyinka welcomed the initiative to preserve the Rwandan tradition of “Umuganda” abroad, “this would not only strengthen relations within the Rwandan community but would also provide an excellent opportunity to share the Rwandan cultural variety with other countries.”
In an earlier speech during the New year’s reception for the Rwandan community which took place in four German cities, Ambassador Nkulikiyinka commended the engagement shown by the young people and encouraged all Rwandans living in Germany to join the exemplary initiative.
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