Umuganda is domestic and homemade solution in Rwanda to ensure cleanliness all across the country. It takes place on the last Saturday of every month for mandatory nationwide community work from 08:00 to 11:00. Participation in Umuganda is required by law, and failure to participate can result in a fine.
Translated from Kinyarwanda as “coming together in common purpose to achieve an outcome”, Umuganda is when Rwandans from all walks of life come together to work for the good of their neighbourhoods and their nation as a whole.
The last Saturday of every month, shops are closed, buses stop running, traffic disappears from the roads, and Rwandans set aside their personal business for the morning and contribute their efforts to public works projects around the country, which can include litter cleanup, tree planting, building houses for the vulnerable, and more.
The social and economic benefits of Umuganda are easy for all to see (Rwanda isn’t the cleanest country in Africa by accident!), and whether or not you have special skills to contribute, all visitors are warmly invited to take part; given the range of projects addressed through Umuganda, you’re sure to find one to fit your interests.
The Neza SAFARIS team always arranges for its clients who might be having flghts during the hours of the exercise by seeking authorization from the relevant authories ahead of time to avoid any interruptions
