From 26 to 28 February 2024, UTAB in partnership with the University of Oldenburg in Germany and the University of Ghana hosted an INTERNATIONAL CARRIER FAIR 1ST EDITION 2024 under the “Network for Labor-Market Oriented Education in Waste and Water Management” (NEWW) Project. The theme of this career fair was “Rainwater treatment for drinking and watering.

In his opening remarks the UTAB Vice Chancellor has said that this network aimed at presenting how the rainwater can be kept and managed well instead of letting it destroy soil and people. He added that this has the purpose of showing the world that the rainwater is an answer if it is well managed.

Fr. Dr. MUNANA Gilbert, O.P, The UTAB Vice Chancellor

UTAB students who attended this event said that they gained additional knowledge aside of what they studied. The ones who study agriculture said that what they learned from this network will help them in managing the rainwater by keeping and using it in irrigation during the summer time.

Different researchers have presented their projects of how they are using rainwater for drinking and watering. Some of them were from Enterprise UTAB, University of Oldenburg (Germany), University of Ghana, OOWV (Germany), Ecco Unternehmensberatung GmbH (Germany) WASAC, SINA Gerard URWIBUTSO, VAF and Rwanda Polytechnic-MUSANZE.

Different Researchers have attended

Ms. Marcelline KAYITESI, Director General in charge of Water and Sanitation in Ministry of Infrastructure, has presented to the participants the new policy of the Rwandan government about water and sanitation which aims at making sure that all Rwandans have access to safe water. She showed that currently 82 % of Rwandans have access to safe water.

She thanked UTAB and its partners for this good initiative which will contribute at local market in water and waste management. She added that this event happened at the right time in the sector of water and sanitation. Where there are some reforms aligned to the new water and sanitation policy as adopted by the cabinet in October 2023.

Ms. Marcelline KAYITESI, Director General in charge of Water and Sanitation in Ministry of Infrastructure

The NEWW project aims to make a highly relevant contribution in the context of labor market stability and employability within the target sectors of water management. UTAB is planning to offer career services to its students through a short course of rainwater treatment for drinking and watering.