Today on the 3^rd December 2021 at Macuba Sector, Nyamasheke there was held an official launch of a three-month campaign on VUP, one of key anti-poverty programmes in Rwanda. Organized by LODA, in collaboration with Local Government administration, and with the support of the World Bank and other development partners, this campaign was branded with the slogan “Dukataze mu iterambere ntawe usigaye inyuma (Leave none behind in striving for development), and its major objective is to inform and educate social protection programme beneficiaries in a bid to spur the graduation mind-set and self-reliance into them on the one hand, and to improve advocacy and service delivery on the other hand.

Proud of their achievements thanks to VUP, beneficiaries laud the top leadership of Rwanda for caring for the poor. Nyiramana Clotilde is resident of Wimana Village, Gatare Cell: “I was taken hostage in DRC for long. It’s now 5 years since I came back to Rwanda. I was warmly welcomed and socio-economically assisted by giving me a cow from which I get manure and my land gets more fertile. Then local leaders_ be they blessed _integrated me into VUP expanded public works, and later I was selected to become a child caregiver. My home was indeed refurbished to bec   ome a dignified Home Based ECD. Today I am called “Teacher”, yet I did not go to school to learn it. Actually my living conditions are far beyond the situation I was in while in DRC forests. Please express my heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency Paul Kagame”.

Minani Stanislas, a beneficiary of VUP Public Works, said that: “Together we have constructed bridges with local means and this has made the road accessible up to Mbuga. Besides public works, we were taught how to make savings from the money we get. Personally I managed to buy a pig, and later I sold it to in turn buy a plot of coffee trees. Now I have come one of coffee suppliers to a local processing plant, and thus I get money”.

In his address to residents of Macuba, Mr. GATSINZI Justine, Division Manager of Social Protection at LODA, stated that he was much impressed by citizens’ tremendous achiements thanks to VUP and other social protection programmes. He appreciated the local innovations known as “Inkoko ya mama, igi rya bebe”, “Nsiga ninogereze”, which actually drive socio-economic development within families and have a positive impact on their livelihoods. He reiterated that the Government of Rwanda initiated VUP in 2008 with the ultimate goal of uprooting extreme poverty and transforming citizens’ living conditions for the better. “Social protection remains one of major preoccupations of our Government as catered for by the 7 Year Government Programme/ NST1”, he added on.

Implemented by the local administrative entities under the supervision LODA, VUP is comprised of the safety net component which has three sub-components including Direct Support, Nutrition Support Services and Public Works (classic and expanded public works). This core component of VUP is supplemented by the Livelihoods Enhancement component including Financial Services, Formal Skills Training and Asset Transfers. To successfully enforce the implementation of VUP, there was introduced Proximity Advisory Services through para-social workers and Public Communications.