By Robert Mugabe
Kigali- The Minister of State in the local government in charge of Social Affairs and Community Development is dead following long illness of stomach complications, according to sources in Belgium hospital.
Hon. Marie Christine Nyatanyi graduated in 1991 from the Institute of National Economy of Odessa, Ukraine (Former Soviet Union) as an economist. She has attended many conferences and seminars related to the integration of refugees in Europe.
Minister Nyatanyi occupied a number of different posts before she was appointed Minister of State in charge of Social Affairs and Community Development in October 2003.
No Rwanda government authority has confirmed the news. sources in Belgium believe that Nyatanyi has been under treatment of stomach complications in Belgium.
After the war and Genocide of 1994, she became Assistant in the Tracing Department of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) respectively in Goma and Nairobi.
In 1997, she was assigned the role of Project Officer in the Flemish Council for Refugees in Brussels where she also worked as assistant in the accountancy department.
ROLES PLAYED BY THE MINISTER OF STATE
In collaboration with the Minister, the Minister of State in charge of Social Affairs and Community Development is responsible for the supervision of Government policies and programs related to Social Affairs and Community Development. Specifically, the Minister of State is in charge of:
1. Follow up and evaluation of the implementation and execution of policies and programs related to community development and social affairs.
2. Initiation of partnership programs aimed at the promotion of integrated community development.
3. Putting in place mechanisms aimed at improving the well-being of the population as well as insuring social security for all.
4. Coordinating interventions of all actors involved in the community development field.
5. Overseeing protection programs for the most vulnerable groups of the population (e.g. street kids, disabled, orphans, elderly) with particular emphasis on genocide survivors.
6. Initiating and overseeing programs aimed at increasing the ability and know-how of poor people in order to expand their perspectives.
7. Overseeing the planning of local and community development.
8. Overseeing the functioning of public establishments and agencies whose mandates are related to her specific role.
9. Follow up and implementation of mechanisms for disaster management and refugee crises.
