Rwanda in depth

Communities fractured by fear after the genocide are now finding common goals in Send a Cow projects. Widows, orphans, disabled people and those with HIV/Aids are discovering they can make a living – and by doing so earn the respect of their wider communities. People here are also working hard to combat severe environmental challenges, and restoring fertility to tired soils. Some longer established groups are also lobbying local government for better services.

Their success speaks for itself; families are growing food, communities are coming together and the national Government is adopting Send a Cow’s approach right across the country.

Strengthening people

The 1994 genocide left one million people dead, and forced thousands to flee to neighbouring countries. Those left homeless were often re-housed by the Government in areas where they had no ties.

For this reason, Send a Cow places a special focus on social development work in Rwanda. In most countries, we work with existing community groups; in Rwanda, we have helped neighbours from different ethnic backgrounds come together. Our training in conflict resolution and democratic ways of working is vital to the success of our projects.

The majority of our group members are women, including a high number of widows. We also work with groups comprising solely orphaned children; disabled people; and people with HIV/Aids. Their family members are always welcome at training events and meetings.

Send a Cow also supports groups in lobbying local authorities on issues such as clean water supplies. Through this, many members have also found the confidence to take on responsible roles in the wider community. Read more about how Send a Cow goes beyond food security.

Farming and animals

Rwanda presents a challenging environment for farming, where crop yields per hectare have been declining since the mid-1990s. This is due in part to the destruction of much of Rwanda’s livestock during the genocide, leading to a reduction in manure supply. Access to water is also limited, so we train farmers in water harvesting to ensure they can care for their animals properly.

Our approach of providing families with good quality livestock to supply milk, meat and manure has proven so successful that it has been adopted by the Rwandan Government. The aim of its ‘One Cow Per Poor Family’ policy is to provide every poor family in the country with good quality, suitable livestock – not just cows – by 2020. Send a Cow is proud to be one of the partners delivering the programme.

Caring for the environment

Landlocked, hilly Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, and this places huge pressures on the environment.

As families try to produce more food from smaller plots, soil quality is declining. Deforestation is a problem, as the rising population needs more land to cultivate and extra fuel to burn, and the valuable wetlands are under threat.

Our sustainable farming techniques however enable farmers to manage their land in an environmentally sensitive manner. Fertility is restored to the soil, protecting it from erosion. People begin to grow more food on their existing plots of land, so they have less need to clear forests. And fuel-saving stoves spare the trees.