Lvemp ii newsletter issue 007

Issue No 007 January-March 2016

NOT FOR SALE

Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (Phase II)

VEMP II L Rwanda

Quarterly Online Newsletter

News

&CDDs How they are changing

community lives


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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter f

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Dear Readers,

Welcome to the 7th edi-tion of LVEMPII Rwan-da Newsletter.

This is yet another issue of our quarterly which brings you hands-on information about what we are doing for the protection of the Lake

Victoria basin in Rwanda and the improvement of lives of communities who depend on the resources of the basin.

Through our work, we target degraded hotspots in the basin and focus on priority areas for the benefit of communities, the country and region in general.

One of the activities driving change within the areas where we intervene is CDDs: the Community Driven Development Sub-projects. Through this scheme, we support environmental-friendly, income generating activities designed by communities themselves to re-spond to the real needs they have and real problems they face.

This approach involves communities sitting together and brainstorming on how projects could better an-swer their problems, CDDs are proving to be instru-ment of change: they are key to the transformation of livelihoods we are witnessing within our intervention areas. People are moving out of poverty, living better and easily meeting their basic needs. Through this is-sue you will meet some of our beneficiaries and hear from their stories: tales of change and improvement.

Also we look at how other lives were changed by LVEMP II: through job creation, skills transfer and capacity building. People are learning how to better improve their lives; and beyond learning they are also practicing it: their lives have changed. Through indi-vidual testimonies, you learn how LVEMP II is bring-ing change within homes.

We hope you will find this newsletter simple, friendly and informative and we look forward to your feed-back.

Enjoy the read.

Annette Sylvie MUHAYIMANALVEMP II Project Coordinator

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CDDs & how their are improv-ing communit livelihoods

LVEMP II driving change right from homes

Stakeholders commit to safeguard LVEMP II investments

Content

REMALVEMP II-RwandaKacyiru,Kigali, Rwanda

PO Box 7436 [email protected]

www.rema.gov.rw

@LVEMP2_Rwanda

lvemp2Rwanda

LVEMP II Rwanda

LVEMP II Rwanda

lvempiirwanda

Address your feedback toJean Pierre Bucyensenge

LVEMP II Communications [email protected]

+250783810145

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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter

EDITORIAL



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Community Driven DevelopmentCommunity Driven Development subprojects (CDDs) operate on the prin-ciples of transparency, participation, local empowerment, demand-re-sponsiveness, greater downward accountability, and enhanced local capacity.

Under this component, LVEMP II supports the implementation of income generating activities with the aim of improving the living conditions of communities in targeted areas.

Currently, 23 CDDs are under implementation in 8 Districts. The target is to have 48 well-performing CDDs by June 2017.

Apart from the financial support, LVE-MP II also supports skills development and capacity building programmes for communities in targeted areas through training.

This is part of the project efforts to support life transformation through investment in income generating activities. Under the programme, LVEMP II supports environment-friendly projects that transform the livelihoods of community while reducing pres-sure on the natural resources of the Lake Victoria Basin.

CDDs groups are involved in various activities which include modern farming, animal hus-bandry, aquaculture and apicul-ture, among others (see related pictures on the next page)



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CDDs: Improving community livelihoodsThrough Community Driven Development Subprojects (CDDs) LVEMP II Project supports life-trans-forming income-generating projects with the aim of uplifting the living conditions of communities in targeted areas. Through these interventions, which are designed by communities to respond to their needs and solve their problems, LVEMP II provide grants to community groups who then implement projects to improve their lives.

This initiative is proving to be a driver of socio-economic change within the lives of our beneficiaries.

In this issue we present to you two of the community groups we support: the Nkanga Cassava Coop-erative in Bugesera District and KODUHARU Cooperative in Rulindo District.

Nkanga Cooperative: The Modern Cassava Farmersm

Over a year ago members of the Nkanga Cassava Cooper-ative in the Eastern Bugesera District received funding from the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Phase Two (LVE-MP II). This support signalled the beginning of a new chapter within their lives: they knew their lives were up for a sharp, positive change.

The funds were meant to help them run a modern cassa-va production project, which ultimately would lead them into improved livelihoods. With a total cost of over Rwf8million needed to start the project, members of the cooperative raised 1,080,000 Rwf while LVEMP II provided the rest (7,300,740Rwf) .

Early last year , members of this CDDs started investing in a modern cassava production venture to uplift their living conditions-growing improved cassava varieties on 3 hect-ares Their first harvest came last March. At the occasion the excitement was high.

"We have invested a lot of efforts in this project and now

we are getting rewarded," said an excited Christine Mukamana, one of the cooperative mem-bers. "Looking at how promising this project is makes me ex-tremely happy and optimistic".

"The production is good and I believe it will help us move onto the next level. I hope that this is the beginning of more achievements, including the possibility of acquiring our own land and extending our activities for much income", Mukamana adds.

For other members, the first yields opens the door to more opportunities.

"When we started this coopera-tive, we thought it would be very challenging but we have been doing our best and investing all our efforts and now we have got results," notes Elie Kanyarwan-da, a married father of 7 who lives in Nkanga cell.

"The best reward for a farmer is good production. Today I am ex-cited because my efforts have been rewarded", he notes.



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CDDs: Improving community livelihoodsKODUHARU: Improved potatoes, better lifem

Based in Rwanda's Northern District of Rulindo, Koperative Dushyirehamwe Rurenge (KODUHARU) is supported by LVEMP II under its programme that funds income generating activities to improve the livelihoods of communities

In order to implement a project to multiply improved potato seeds, members of KODUHARU received a grant of Rwf 13, 311, 845 from LVEMP II. They raised another Rwf 1,298,000 in contributions from members and last November they started the implementation of the project. Apart from the financial support, members of this group also received training to boost their ability to successfully implement the sub-project.

Early in March 2016, the cooperative got its harvest to much excitement. Members of the group said the support they received opened a new chapter within their lives.

"With this harvest, we are going to extend to more areas and ensure we produce more," observed Jean Dama-scene Habintwari one of them.

For Annonciata Nyiraneza, it is an opportunity to invest in more income generating activities to further improve their lives.

"Income from our production will help us to easily meet our needs and solve challenges affecting us. In addition,

we will now be able to invest in other income generating activities, such as animal hus-bandry," she said.

In addition, through training and working together, the beneficia-ries have also learnt of new techniques and methods-which they say ensure increased productivity.

"We have learnt mod-ern farming techniques and we are using the skills to boost produc-tion in our own fields," Habintwari says.

Adrien nTABAnGAnYiMAnA, KoduhAru represenTATive

We are already prepar-ing the next season. We shall invest income from this harvest into the extension of our activities to ensure we maximise benefits and generate much more revenues. We are re-solved to keep increas-ing our production so that we be able to meed the high and growing demand for quality po-tato seeds

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CDDs: Building environmental-friendly communities

Under CDDs, communities propose development interventions based on their own priorities for which they get funds for implementation. As such they are empowered econom-ically and encouraged to be active partners in the project and in the protection of environments through adopting sustainable land manage-ment practices, rehabilitation and protection of wetlands and land around rivers to reduce erosion and sedimentation. They are also en-couraged to be actively involved in the protection of investments made by the project with the aim of pro-

tection the Lake Victoria Basin.

"We are giving our contributions not only by adopting environmental friendly practices in our daily lives but also by sensitising our neigh-bours about the benefits of safe-guarding our environment and pro-tecting investments that are made in this field," says Elie Kanyarwanda, a member of Nkanga Cassava Coop-erative in Bugesera District.

"We also work with local leaders to stop whoever that might destroy the environment."



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Change at home: Tales of improved lives

The interventions of LVEMP II have bene-fited thousands of individuals in targeted areas. Some have got jobs, while others received grants to implement income generating activities. Hundreds more attended life-changing capacity building programmes which inspired their action for better life.

In the following section, we look at some of the stories of people who have man-aged to get out poverty thanks to the work of LVEMP II



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Cyriaque MPORWIKI lives with her wife and their 5 children in Ntarabana Village, Gashali Sector, Karongi District.

When LVEMP II Project started the protection of Mashyiga River, Mporwiki was amongst the first individuals to be hired.

As he considered this to be a golden opportunity to transform his life, Mporwiki and his family hatched a plan to ensure they benefit from the work: they agreed to save part of the money he was earning.

With their savings and a little cred-it from a local Savings and Credit Cooperative, the family has been able to buy a plot of about one hectare-at a cost of 300,000 RWF. Today, he is using the plot to grow tomatoes and potatoes.

“Before, I would spend all money I could earn from working in my field. But when I started working with this Project we were encour-aged to spend wisely and save part of our income. That helped me a lot," Mporwiki says.

In addition to that, the work has also allowed him to buy a sheep which has so far given him four lambs.

"Today I am able to easily pay the school fees of my children, subscribe my family to the health insurance scheme and afford other basic needs of my family," Mporwiki says, proudly.

CYriAque MporwiKi

Cyriaque Mporwiki



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Emile NZABAHIMANA is a 32-year-old gentle-man who plans to get married soon.

When the implementa-tion of LVEMP II activ-ities in Karongi District started, Nzabahimana was employed alongside hundreds of his fellow villagemates.

“This project is of great importance for the local community. Apart from protecting and conserv-ing the environment, it is helping people to over-come poverty,” Nzabahi-mana says.

Nzabahimana says LVEMP II helped him to make his dreams a real-ity. From the money he earned working on the implementation of the project activities, Nzaba-himana bought a bicycle which he uses in his dai-ly activities. But that was just the beginning.

“As I worked, I saved money and it enabled me to build my own house,” Nzabahimana says, as he points to his brick house.

“It is a dream come true”.

eMile nzABAhiMAnA

Nzabahimana is pictured here in front of a house he built thanks to working for LVEMP II



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For years, 56-year-old Innocent Rwigema struggled to raise enough money to pay for the education of his children and his family's basic needs.

Having depended on subsistence agriculture for almost his entire life, access to money had be-come a headache for the resident of Nyamiyaga Village in Simbi sector of Huye District, Southern Province.

But in 2013, LVEMP II Rwanda gave him an opportunity to improve his life: he was one of the hundreds of individuals who were employed as part of the implementation of activities to reha-bilitate Mwogo, a tributary of Nyabarongo River. The activities included the creation of demarcation lines and progressive terraces on surrounding hills as well as planting reeds, bamboos and agro-forestry trees.

Having been employed for one and half years, Rwigema says this offered him a chance to change the life of his family.

"I was able to pay the school fees of my two chil-dren who were in secondary school. One of them has since graduated," he says. "I have also been able to meet other needs of my family, including subscribing them to the community health insur-ance scheme among others."

His socio-economic livelihoods has as well im-proved.Using the money he was paid, Rwigema bought small domestic animals which include a pig and goats

"My life and that of my family has significantly improved," he says.

"Apart from giving us a chance to access funds through the creation of hundreds of jobs, the LVEMP II activities have also greatly contributed to the protection of our environment including re-ducing erosion and sediments carried into Mwogo River, which led to the increase of our agriculture production. That also contributed to the transfor-mation of our lives."

innoCenT rwiGeMA

Rwigema talks to a friend on a phone he bought after working for LVEMP II. Apart from improving lives, LVEMP II is also supporting technology penetration in rural areas



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SPECIOSE UKWITEGETSE, is a 41-years old widow who lives in Ru-garama village of Simbi Sector in the Huye District

For most of her life, Ukwitegetse who lost her husband some two decades ago, lived a poor life-struggling to raise enough food to feed her family, pay for her family's subscription to the commu-nity health insurance and meet their other basic needs.

Ukwitegetse's sole source of income was from subsistence agriculture which only gave her limited food yields and, therefore, leading to vulnerable life.

But in 2013 she started working with LVEMP II on the implementation of ac-tivities to protect Mwogo River and its surrounding hills. With money she was earning, she opened an account in a local Savings and Credit Cooperative where she used to deposit part of her wages in savings.

Two years down the road, Ukwitegetse bought two goats and a pig to increase her income. She has also acquired a plot of land in a nearby model settle-ment where she plans to establish her new home using savings from her wag-es and income from her animal hus-bandry investment.

Besides, she has also acquired a mo-bile phone which she says is helping her to communicate with other mem-bers of her community.

"My life has significantly improved thanks to the project. I wouldn't be think-ing of setting up a new house if it was not for this project," Ukwitegetse says.

speCiose uKwiTeGeTse

Ukwitegetse with some of the goats he acquired after working for LVEMP II

Ukwitegetse shows a phone she bought after working for LVEMP II

Apart from owning goats, Ukwitegetse also counts pigs among her assets



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Members of the Districts' Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) have pledged to incorporate environmental protection as part of their institution's and personal annual performance contracts.

The resolution was reached during a two-day training, organised by the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project phase Two (LVEMP II). The training, held in the first half of April, brought together JADF members from 12 Districts where implementation of physical activities is underway. It was held in two phases, each taking two days.

JADF is a consultative forum of District development stakeholders for participatory planning, dia-logue, dissemination of information and increase synergy among key stakeholders for effective citizen participation and community devel-opment.

The Forum brings together District leaders, representatives from civil society, private and public sector, local and international NGOs, local authorities, faith-based organisa-tions, cooperatives and represen-tatives of communities.

JADF members from the Districts of Bugesera, Ngoma, Rulindo, Gakenke, Kamonyi and Ngorore-ro met in Kigali on April 5-6, 2016 while those from Muhanga, Ru-hango, Nyanza, Huye, Nyamaga-be and Karongi met between 14-15April 2016

Participants discussed the environ-mental laws and policies and their enforcement, Environmental and Social Safeguards as well as the Green growth and Climate Change Resilience Strategy.

The training also explored the work of LVEMP II Project and how the investments made in the pro-tection of the Lake Victoria Basin

environment as well as the trans-formation of community livelihoods can be sustained.

After discussions, participants resolved to work with relevant authorities , institutions and organi-sations to ensure that environment protection is incorporated within their performance contracts.

Particularly, participants commit-ted to ensure that LVEMP II in-vestments are reflected within the performance contracts of Districts, Sectors, Cells and households within target areas to ensure their sustainability even after the project closes shop in mid-2017.

"This training has further opened our minds on the benefits of envi-ronment protection and what role we should play," observed JMV Sinamenye, a community repre-sentative from Gakenke District.

Stakeholders commit to safeguard LVEMP II investments

Some of the participants during the training



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LVEMP II Result Indicators (As of June 2016)

Indicator Target Progress

Number of hectares under sustainable land management practices in the targeted sub-catchments

5000 Ha 4241.7 ha are under sustainable management including

land on protected riverbanks and buffer zones, established radical and progressive terraces, water hyacianth removed from Lake Rweru and agro-forestry

Direct Project Beneficiaries 4000 beneficiaries

The number of direct project beneficiaries is estimated at 7327, exceeding the original target of 4,000. 36.9% of them are women

Target industries in the LVB adopting Cleaner Production Technologies

8 The target for 8 industries to adopt cleaner production techniques has already been exceeded. Currently, 25 Industries have adopted resource efficiency and cleaner production practices. Activities are ongoing

Number of hectares of degraded wetlands restored and/or rehabilitated by communities in targeted subcatchments

200 ha The target of 200 ha for wetland restoration has been

exceeded. 144 ha have so far been achieved from Rweru Lake buffer zone completed. (In addition, Water Hyacinth removal completed on 100 ha)

Percent of community natural resource management subprojects whose implementation is rated satisfactory or better in the targeted subcatchments

60 per cent 8 Community Driven Development Subprojects (CDDs) are currently under implementation while another 15 are in initial phase of implementation. 26 new CDDs have been approved for implementation by the project NTAC meeting held last December


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This newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase Two (LVEMP II) in Rwanda.

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Lvemp ii newsletter issue 007