Northern Province - Based on their achievements in household development, some beneficiaries of Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) manifest the desire to move up to the second (and even third) Ubudehe category. Testimonies collected from beneficiaries of “Direct Support”, “Classic Public Works”, “Expanded Public Works”, and “Financial Services” indicate that VUP has positively impacted their livelihoods to a satisfactory level. Following are extracts of interviews held with residents of Musanze and Gakenke Districts.

Mr. SEMIRYANGO Epimaque, resident of Murago Cell, Gataraga Sector in Musanze District, declared: “I have worked on feeder roads for one year long, these roads which bring development to our villages. I was selected among citizens of Ubudehe category one, given I had no properties to be classified in category two.  Before I got employed in VUP, I could hardly feed my family since I used to work as manpower and not permanently, but from the time I was enrolled for VUP public works I can easily feed my children and buy school material for them. I have managed to buy three sheep from which I easily get compost for my farming activities […] considering what I have achieved thanks to VUP, I wish to get classified into the second category of Ubudehe […]. In case I get suspended from VUP program, I plan to run a small business of selling potatoes”.

Mrs. DUSABEMARIYA Théodosie from the same village benefited from VUP- Financial Services. She testified in these terms: “Before I got a loan from VUP my family was living miserably. I took a 60 thousand Frw loan and I bought a pig which changed my life. I managed to get school material for my children and other home needs. Though it was so hard, I have already paid back the loan and now I plan to once again request another loan to enable me buy some sheep and rabbits”.

Mrs. NZABANITA Immaculée resides at Muramba Cell, Cyabingo Sector, Gakenke District. She has been “Direct Support” beneficiary since 2011//2012. She strongly acknowledges the Government for enabling her to get better life conditions. “I am beneficiary of Direct Support and I get 18,000 Frw monthly for a four person family. Before I get this support I could hardly afford one meal per day and sometimes could spend three days without eating. But today I can easily feed my family and manage to get other home needs like clothes for my children. We have formed “Ikimina” (saving group) as Direct Support beneficiaries and we make savings thanks to which I have managed to buy one goat, some furniture and a mattress. I was also given a cow through Girinka programme and I have landscaped a small banana plantation. […] We often get advice and guidance our local leaders on how to improve our livelihoods. I feel no more proud to be into Ubudehe Category one and I am striving to upgrade to Ubudehe Category two by next year”.

VUP has largely contributed to extreme poverty reduction in the country. VUP was established in 2008 under the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) within the Common Development Fund (CDF), which became Rwanda Local Development Support Fund (RLDSF) in 2010 and later Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) in 2013. Originally established as a flagship programme within the first Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS), VUP remains key to the delivery of a range of national targets under the first National Strategy for Transformation (2018-2024) and realization of Vision 2020. 

Figures from the National Institute of Statistics (NISR) indicate that Rwanda has made significant progress in the eradication of extreme poverty. Since 2005/2006 the extreme poverty rate has fallen from 35.8% in 2005/2006 to 24.1% by 2010/11 and then to 16.3% by 2013/14. The latest Intergrated Household Living Survey (EICV5) shows that extreme poverty remains at a rate of 16% in 2018/2019. This has led the Government and its development partners to formulate a multi-sectorial approach to accelerate the eradication of extreme poverty by 2024. Under this new approach, government and non-government agencies, national and international NGOs have built up strategic partnerships in support of Rwanda’s objective of eradicating extreme poverty by 2024 as suggests the target of the National Strategy Transformation (NST1).