BUILDING ASSETS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY IN RWANDA

As part of a holistic package of support under the United Nations Joint Programme on Social Protection, WFP together with GoR supported the construction of terraces on 25 hectares of land in Nyamagabe and Rutsiro districts. The two districts are prone to regular landslides and soil erosion, which has often discouraged smallholder farmers from cultivating the land, resulting in a worsening household poverty and food insecurity. After the terrace construction, the communities attested to increased harvests, which has in turn boosted their economic empowerment.

“Potato harvests on the terraced land increased enormously. From less than 200kgs to 21 metric tonnes per hectare. We are now gaining so much from our produce; our livelihoods have improved as a result”. Said Consolette Ahwishyize. Consolette, a 45-year-old mother of 5,

in Gitwe village of Rutsiro district is one of the farmers that was always in distress, during rainy seasons, as the running water used to wash away the topsoil, crops, and fertilizer.

She commends the terraces for conserving the soil, preventing erosion and increasing the productivity of the land. The program also provided agriculture inputs, including pesticides, lime to improve soil fertility, and hybrid potato seeds worth nearly RWF 68 million. The support has not only remedied challenges farmers faced, rather also enabled the farmers to respond to the increasing food demand in the area and beyond. Today, the farmers have embraced modern techniques of farming and they are employing fellow community members on their farm lands, from which the positive ripple effects are felt especially among the vulnerable households. The Joint Programme in line with the country’s efforts for integrated social protection to end poverty in all its forms while ensuring no one is left behind. It is implemented by the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the local governments in Rutsiro, Nyamagabe, Karongi, Kirehe and Burera districts.