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Oxfam in Rwanda

Godelive Nyirabakobua, a pineapple farmer who has received support from Oxfam. Photo: Simon Rawles

From our staff

Dieudonne Rutware, Value Chain Advisor

 I joined Oxfam in 2002, when Rwanda was still emerging from the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, while Oxfam was implementing a peace-building and development programme. Our approach was unique in Rwanda as it combined training in conflict management with grants for community projects. We helped people work together to generate income and to learn how to manage conflicts within the group.

Today, our work has changed, and we now focus on helping women to become leaders and earn a better living through their businesses. We do this by working with private sector companies, research institutes and local entrepreneurs.


Full details of what Oxfam is doing in Rwanda (PDF, 221KB)

DRC crisis

Renewed conflict has caused over 760,000 people to flee their homes in eastern Congo since the start of 2012. 

Conflict in DR Congo

In 2011-12 Oxfam directly helped:

15,000
people in
Rwanda

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Related reports and papers

Snapshot of Oxfam in Rwanda

Photo 1/10 photo by: Simon Rawles

Around 30% of households in Rwanda are headed up by women, the bulk of these living below the poverty line. Because of this, our livelihoods support focuses especially on helping women develop their leadership skills and means of making a living. Here mushroom business owner and Oxfam partner Augustin Ngabonziza provides training to female mushroom farmers.

  • Around 30% of households in Rwanda are headed up by women, the bulk of these living below the poverty line. Because of this, our livelihoods support focuses especially on helping women develop their leadership skills and means of making a living. Here mushroom business owner and Oxfam partner Augustin Ngabonziza provides training to female mushroom farmers.
  • We also work closely with female pineapple farmers. Here, Mercianne Uwamwezi prepares pineapple for drying. With support from Oxfam and local partner Duterimbere, women entrpreneurs like Mercianne are looking to expand their businesses into new markets.
  • Our previous work in Rwanda has included providing peace-building training. These were especially important given lingering distrust amongst communities following the 1994 genocide. Vincencia (pictured with her family) received training from Oxfam and subsequently became a trainer herself. "The course taught me how to tolerate others and to live peacefully with my neighbours. It's helped to open my mind," she explained.
  • Today we continue to work closely with local partner Radio La Benevolencija which produces the popular soap opera ‘Musekeweya’ or ‘New Dawn’. The series focuses on conflict between the two fictional Rwandan villages of Bumanzi and Muhumuro and uses soap opera to heal community and ethnic tensions and spread messages of reconciliation.
  • Our Oxfam Unwrapped gift catalogue has also provided livestock to families like Selena's (pictured). "Our goats allow us to fertilise our crops so they will flourish. And I know that if I need a new school uniform, we can sell a goat and I will be able to buy a new one," she explains. Goats are especially valuable animals as they breed easily and can also be kept to produce milk and manure which can help improve harvests.

The impact of our work

 What Oxfam are trying to do is create a market for small-scale farmers. When farmers in this area produce pineapples they don't have a market to sell to. I saw that vegetables and fruit don't have any added value in this country. I could really see a way I could add value. I can make a profit and my farmers can also profit from the new technology we've developed.


Damien Mbatezimana, owner of Oxfam-supported Shekina Enterprises