Social and Religious Studies

 Key unit competence: Compare socio-economic activities of his/her district with those of the neighbouring districts 

                                                  and recognise their importance in the development of the District.

                                                          Learning objectives

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

   • Locate his/her District on the provincial and Rwandan maps.

   • Identify social-economic activities of his/her district.

Skills

    • Describe the location of his/her district on the provincial and Rwandan maps.

    • Analyse different economic activities carried out in his/ her district in comparison with her/his neighbouring districts.

    • State how socio-economic activities contribute to the development of the district

    • Explain the importance of socio-economic activities in the development of the district.

Attitudes and values

    • Acknowledge the importance of social-economic activities in his/her district.

    • Respect work as a source of income.

Look at the picture and answer the questions below:

   1. What is happening in the picture?

   2. What do you think the people are doing?

   3. Where do you go to buy what you need?

   4. What do you buy?

   5. Where can you buy or sell items in your district?

1.1 Identify my district

A district is an area in which people live. A neighbourhood is the area close

to you. Neighbours are the people who live next to you. Neighbouring districts are next to the district in which you live.

A province is a region that is bigger than a district. Each district is part of a province. 

In Rwanda we have five provinces and 30 districts.

These are our five provinces:

• Eastern Province
• Kigali City
• Northern Province
• Western Province
• Southern Province.

Each of the five provinces is divided into districts. Table 1.1 gives the names of the different districts.

Table 1.1 Provinces with their districts

Activity

Look at the map on the next page.

     1. Find your province on the map.

     2. Look at the list of districts. Which is your district? 

    3. Find your district on the map. Point to where it is.

    4. What is the size of your district? 

    5. Which are the districts next to your district?

    6. On your own, draw a map of your district. Show your map to your group.

    7. Explain where your district is. Point out your neighbouring districts.

1.2 District map

The five provinces and 30 districts of Rwanda

1.3 Socio-economic activities in our district

• A social activity is where we contact or meet people. An economic activity is when we make, buy or sell goods. 
• A socio-economic activity is a mix of a social and economic activities. The two activities go together.

When we buy or sell goods, we talk to people. We meet and spend time with them. 

When we work to earn money, we work with people. When we go to the market, we buy and sell goods. 

We meet people and talk to them.

1.4 Examples of socio-economic activities

1.5 Social activities

People talk to each other. They go out together. They play sport together, compete and against each other. 

Some people go to church. Others go to mosque. People have families and friends. 

People attend marriages, baptisms and funerals. 

People get married and start families. Children visit their parents and grandparents. People visit their neighbours. 

You visit your friends and family members. People attend cultural events. People sing and dance. 

Many people like to share food with each other. They have feasts together.

Traditional dance in Musanze

1.6 Economic activities

People grow vegetables on their farms. They take them to the market to sell.

Other people come to the market to buy the vegetables.People catch fish.

They sell the fish. With that money, they can buy food and clothes. Tourists or

visitors from other countries come to Rwanda. They stay in hostels and hotels.

They pay to stay there. They visit our beautiful areas. They pay for transport and tour guides.

The picture below shows some of the agricultural products sold in Rwanda.

A market in Kigali

Exercise

1. Make a list of all the socio-economic activities in your district.

2. Talk about each activity.

     a) What do people do?

    b) Where does it happen?

   c) Which socio-economic activities have you joined in?

  3. Share your group’s discussion with the rest of the class.

1.7 Socio-economic activities in neighbouring districts

Collecting, selling and transporting 

water is a socio-economic activity.

Every district has its own socio-economic activities.

In Kinihira there is a tea plantation. 

Many people work here. 

The tea is sold to other countries.

1.8 Examples of socio-economic activities in neighbouring districts

In districts where there are national parks, there are many socio-economic activities dealing with tourists.

In areas where there is water, there are socio-economic activities such as fishing. 

An example is the area around Lake Kivu. 

In the city of Kigali, there are more shops and businesses than in rural areas. 

There is more farming in some areas than others.

1.9 Compare socio-economic activities

You know the socio-economic activities in your district. 

Learn more about the socio-economic activities in neighbouring districts. 

Your neighbouring districts are those that are next to yours.

A map of Rwanda showing socio-economic activities in the different districts

Activity

1. Find out what the socio-economic activities are in your neighbouring districts.

2. Compare the socio-economic activities in your district to those in neighbouring districts.

        a) What are the differences?

        b) How are the activities the same?

        c) Why are there differences?

        d) Why are there similarities?

3. Present what you found to the class.

1.10 The importance of socio-economic activities

Socio-economic activities help each district to develop. To develop means to grow and prosper.

1.10.1 Socio-economic activities add to the development of each district

Socio-economic activities help a district to develop. Look at these examples. 

Employment or work helps people to earn money. Then they have money to spend and buy things. 

That means, other people will make and sell things and they will also earn more money. 

Many people may wish to visit a district. They may want to buy or sell goods. 

They may want to visit people or see a cultural place. Then roads will need to be built. 

Roads make it easy for people to visit a district.

Tourism in a district means that people will build hotels and hostels. They will open restaurants or other places to eat. 

People who make crafts and pottery will open stall where they can sell these items. 

Tourist guides will get work. They will show tourists our country.

 More money will come into the district.

Tourists buy items to remember their                             Tourists visit our national parks. Examples are the: 

 visit to Rwanda.                                                                       Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Akagera National Parks.

1.10.2 Socio-economic activities are important for each district

Agriculture or farming helps people to be employed. It also feeds people. If we did not have farms, we would not eat.

Trade helps us to earn money. Then our district can pay for buildings, schools

Tourists like to visit our cultural places. This building is in Rukali, Nyanza, and is a replica of a palace.

and hospitals. If we sell and buy, our economy gets strong. 

When our economy is strong, people in other countries will invest in our districts. 

To invest is to put money into a business or other socio-economic activities.

There are many houses in Kigali. More schools are built so all the children can attend school.

                   Farms, such as this one in Karongi, are very important.

Other countries may spend money in our district. 

Shops, business and trade bring money to our districts.

Exercise

1. Discuss how socio-economic activities help to develop your district.

2. Explain why socio-economic activities are important for the development of your district.

Homework

Write three sentences to explain what you learnt during the debate about the Importance of socio-economic activities.

Self-assessment

Make sure that you are able to do the following on your own.

    1. Compare the socio-economic activities in your district to those in neighbouring districts.

   2. Explain why some are the same.

   3. Say why some are different.

End unit assessment

1. Draw a map of your district. 

2. Look at this picture. Answer the questions.

a) What socio-economic activities is taking place from the picture above.

b) What are the socio-economic activities in your district? 

c) Why are socio-economic activities important to each district?