After the genocide, the province of Umutara was created in the country’s former game reserve to house repatriates. Infrastructure is needed throughout the province, as is capacity building for public administration and community organizations in planning, executing and maintaining sustainable development on a participatory basis.

Access to drinking water is a serious problem – just 23 per cent of households have clean water to drink.

Poverty in the province is also aggravated by degraded soil, the absence of improved varieties of plant material, and poor animal health. Rural dwellers lack appropriate information on markets and technologies and adequate financial services. Poor road conditions keep farmers from markets and impede the circulation of commercial information. The project's goal is to help poor farmers in the former Umutara Province improve their living conditions and raise their incomes.

Working towards that goal, the project will promote decentralization and improve governance in the region, provide training support for associations to participate in decision-making, develop infrastructure such as roads and waterholes for household and livestock use, and provide support for rural enterprises and financial services development.

Project website

Source: IFAD