China-aided village satellite TV project completed in Rwanda

The completion ceremony of a China-aided village satellite television project was held in Rulindo city, central Rwanda, on May 24. China and Rwanda signed a handover document at the ceremony.

Xing Yuchun (R), charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda, and Assumpta Ingabire, permanent secretary of the Rwandan Ministry of Local Government, sign a handover document during the completion ceremony on May 24. [photo/Gabriel Dusabe]

The “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages” project, a Chinese government funded project which aims to help residents of more than 10,000 villages in Africa watch satellite TV programs, is one of the China-Africa humanities cooperation initiatives proposed at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2015.

Xing Yuchun, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda, said that the project will help broaden the horizons of local residents, especially young people, and provide more opportunities for them to improve their living conditions.

Rwandans attend the completion ceremony of a China-aided village satellite television project in Rulindo city, central Rwanda, on May 24. [photo/Gabriel Dusabe]

Assumpta Ingabire, permanent secretary of the Rwandan Ministry of Local Government, thanked the Chinese government, the Chinese company StarTimes which carried out the project, and staff working for the project. She said that this project will help Rwanda achieve better nationwide TV penetration.

The project will bring free satellite TV to 900 public places in 300 villages and 6,000 families in Rwanda, and has trained more than 120 Rwandan young engineers for future operation of the project.