Development partners working in Gisagara District have commended the District for providing them with a platform to showcase their activities, achievements, and contribution to improving the lives of local communities.
The three-day exhibition, which began on August 12 and concluded on August 14, 2026, brought together development partners, private-sector actors, and community members to showcase their work, exchange ideas, and highlight the role of partnerships in advancing the district’s development agenda.
A platform for accountability and stronger partnerships
Cyprian Dusengimana, representative of development partners in Gisagara District, said the exhibition provided an important opportunity to reaffirm their shared commitment to development and strengthen collaboration among the District, its partners, and citizens. He described the event as an opportunity for partners to demonstrate what they are doing at the district level while promoting unity, accountability, and results-oriented development aimed at improving citizens’ well-being and contributing to a peaceful and secure country.
“This exhibition is an opportunity to showcase the work we do at the district level, with the aim of creating satisfied citizens and contributing to a country where people live in peace and security,” He said.
According to Dusengimana, improved roads have made it easier for people to access the district, while the growth of industries is creating additional opportunities for economic development. He also pointed to improvements in agricultural productivity, noting that some farmers are now able to harvest banana bunches weighing up to 100 kilograms.
He emphasized that stronger collaboration between citizens and development partners could further contribute to expanding infrastructure and strengthening the capacity of households to improve their livelihoods.
Dusengimana further noted that, during the previous financial year, members of the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) mobilized more than RWF 52 billion, which supported various initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and livelihoods of citizens.
Exhibitors call for greater public awareness
Uwineza Marie Jose, who represents a milk collection center in Gisagara District, described the exhibition as a valuable opportunity to make their activities and services better known to the public. She said many people had the opportunity to learn about services and activities they had previously been unaware of. However, she called for stronger public awareness campaigns ahead of future exhibitions to encourage greater participation.
Bankundiye Emerance, a resident of Musha Sector who operates a tailoring business, also said the exhibition helped her reach new potential customers. She explained that several people who visited her stand learned for the first time that she provides tailoring services.
“Many new people discovered that I provide tailoring services. Although public awareness and participation are still limited, it would be even more beneficial if the District strengthened mobilization efforts for future exhibitions,” she said.
Rutaburingoga Jérôme, the mayor of Gisagara District, thanked development partners for their continued contribution to the district’s progress. He said the achievements being recorded in Gisagara demonstrate what can be accomplished when local government, development partners, the private sector, and citizens work together.
He noted that Gisagara has made significant progress over the years and described the district as an example of what can be achieved through strong partnerships and collective efforts. The mayor also highlighted a new development in social protection, explaining that, this year, the district is for the first time planning to provide financial support to vulnerable residents across all sectors of Gisagara.
He said the initiative requires close collaboration among different stakeholders, particularly in preparing and training vulnerable households and supporting local businesses so that the money injected into communities can circulate within the district’s local economy.
“This is a great opportunity that should not be wasted. We need to see tangible changes. This is a responsibility shared by development partners and citizens to ensure that these objectives are achieved,”He said.
In the area of social welfare, the mayor urged development partners to continue supporting the people they work with by providing continuous guidance, training, and follow-up. He stressed that sustainable development has no shortcuts and that citizens need continued awareness, skills development, and support to improve their livelihoods and adapt to changing circumstances.
He also called on development partners to strengthen coordination and bring their different interventions together around the needs and priorities of citizens rather than implementing activities in isolation. The mayor emphasized the importance of JADF as a platform for bringing together the different efforts of development partners and ensuring that their interventions complement one another for greater impact.
Partnership at the heart of Gisagara’s development
The Gisagara District exhibition demonstrated the value of collaboration among local government, development partners, the private sector, and citizens. Beyond showcasing products and services, the event provided an opportunity for stakeholders to reflect on the progress achieved, identify remaining challenges, and strengthen cooperation around shared development priorities.
For Gisagara, the message from the exhibition was clear: when different stakeholders combine their efforts and place citizens at the center of development, partnerships can become a powerful driver of sustainable economic and social transformation.
