FAO Rwanda Newsletter 2016 Volume 2 • Issue 3 As 2016 draws to a close, FAO-Rwanda reflects on project successes and shares how in 2017 and beyond we will continue working to eradicate poverty and end hunger. © FAO 2017/Teopista Mutesi WELCOME As 2016 draws to a close, this is a g o o d t i m e t o re f l e c t o n o u r Contents achievements and challenges over the past twelve months. While this time of the year can be hectic, it provides us Page 2 “Linking up” for a with the opportunity to assess how better Rwanda FAO 2017/Teopista Mutesi 2017/Teopista FAO © programmes and projects are c o n t r i b u t i n g t o o u r C o u n t r y Programming Framework. It is also a chance to examine how we collaborate Page 3 The road to with colleagues and partners, within and outside the Organization, to translate resilience national priorities into impactful and people-centered interventions. Additionally, during our recent staff retreat, we reflected on and discussed how Innovations for FAO can further demonstrate results and efficiency in the framework of its new development delivery mechanism. In this newsletter, we highlight a few of our closing projects that left a Page 4 Empowering rural deep impact on our beneficiaries. From the economic and leadership women for achievements of our Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment project to the stronger enhanced business operations of farmers in our Aquaculture Commercialization communities project, it is exciting to see the growth of Rwanda’s citizens over several years. We also want to share how FAO-Rwanda, in close coordination with One UN in Page 5 Rwanda, acts swiftly during natural disasters to help communities recover and Improving nutrition become more resilient. Keep reading to learn about our assistance to landslide through aquaculture victims in Gakenke district, Northern Province under the project funded by the Central Emergency Response Fund. Page 6 On behalf of the entire FAO-Rwanda team, I would like to thank all of our World Food Day: partners and colleagues across FAO for contributing to our successes over the Climate is changing. Food year. I hope you enjoy this final newsletter of 2016, and I look forward to and agriculture sharing more of our work in food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, must too value chain development, and institutional collaboration in 2017! I wish you all a joyous and healthy festive season, and a prosperous new year. Page 7 Staff spotlight Attaher Maiga Calendar of FAO Representative in Rwanda upcoming events “Linking up” for a better Rwanda FAO 2017/Teopista Mutesi 2017/Teopista FAO © FAO Social Protection Team Leader Natalia Winder Rossi (far right) and FAO Representative Attaher Maiga (second from right) listen to a question about linking social protection and agriculture during a meeting with the entire Parliament of Rwanda. Rossi, built on his remarks by educating the audience on n November 29, FAO held a full-day plenary session O social protection programmes and how they can for the whole Parliament of Rwanda to increase increase small-scale farmer resilience through increased awareness of the linkages between social protection production and income. and agriculture. The programme included contributions The meeting also pointed out that sustainable from Ministers, high representatives of the government graduation out of extreme poverty is impossible if the bodies LODA and RAB, governors, and development focus is on social protection in isolation. From civil partners including UNICEF and DFID. The meeting society to the development community, FAO focused on how social protection, in combination with emphasized the need to develop a common agriculture, can lead to the eradication of poverty and understanding about the complementarities of hunger. The day built on the outcomes and enthusiasm agriculture and social protection. Bringing on board the of a FAO organized policy dialogue earlier this year. Parliament is a major step toward this goal and the Over the past five years, Rwanda’s poverty rate has Speaker of Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies, Donatille dropped by 12% according to the Economic Mukabalisa, agreed. Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy II. Data “Partners should continue to dialogue with lawmakers so from the flagship social protection programme of the that they better understand opportunities and government, Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme, reveals challenges in the linkages between social protection and that the social protection sector was a key contributor to agriculture in fighting hunger and poverty,” she said, this remarkable achievement. “The linkages between after Mr. Maiga lauded this moment as only the agriculture and social protection are crucial to reach beginning of a partnership between FAO and sustained graduation out of extreme poverty”, said FAO Parliament. “The dialogue will help us enact laws that Representative Attaher Maiga in his opening address. promote and strengthen consistency between social FAO Social Protection Team Leader, Natalia Winder protection and agriculture.” 2 • FAO Rwanda Newsletter 2016 The road to resilience: FAO supports landslide and flood victims in Gakenke district When flooding and Mutesi 2017/Teopista FAO © landslides struck Gakenke district in May 2016, the A National Facilitator explains results from a needs assessment. destruction was widespread. The disaster killed and injured Innovations for development community members, destroyed houses, and For three months, National Innovation Facilitators washed out crops. To conducted capacity needs assessment on five niches in FAO 2017/Teopista Mutesi 2017/Teopista FAO support the recovery of © these communities, FAO Rwanda through the FAO and Agrinatura supported received funding from the Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Gakenke residents construct Systems (CDAIS) project. CDAIS promotes innovations terraces to mitigate future UN Central Emergency within agricultural niches to reduce poverty in a socially heavy rainfall. Response Fund (CERF). In September, FAO began to inclusive manner. Facilitators analysed technical and support 4,317 households most affected by the disaster functional skills, niche gaps, and stakeholder to rehabilitate their lands and earn money from cash for partnerships. work activities. In December, FAO held a two-day event to validate the The project is already making an impact. FAO exercise’s findings and highlight core recommendations. distributed high quality maize and fortified beans which Facilitators noted that there are different ways to build mature quickly. Through a cash for work scheme, 93 ha capacity, including through enabling environments or of valley were rehabilitated and 319 ha of hillside were organizations. They also found that actors require more repaired by planting improved seeds and building skills to manage partnerships. Arnaud de Vanssay of the terraces. Beyond the environmental and agricultural European Union emphasized this point. “The assessment benefits, the farmers earned money to buy household looked at the history of agricultural innovation systems in non-food items and nutritious food to supplement food Rwanda. The next step is to bring more innovations and rations distributed by the World Food Program. Local knowledge to enhance partnerships,” he said. agriculture extension staff and 10% of farmers are also enrolled in a “training of trainers” where they learn The Director General of Agriculture Development in climate smart agriculture techniques to share with other MINAGRI also spoke optimistically about CDAIS. “We community members. The affected population will soon believe the CDAIS project will help in building capacities benefit from tools and a second distribution of seeds. so that all value chain actors develop.” He added, “This Together, these interventions ensure that the farmers will will bring to the forefront the need to invest in functional not only recover from the flooding in May, but also grow capacities in Rwanda. Through agriculture innovations, more resilient to climate related disasters in the future. we can develop even more as a nation”. 3 • FAO Rwanda Newsletter 2016 Empowering rural women for stronger communities FAO 2017/Teopista Mutesi 2017/Teopista FAO © A member of Impinduka waters tomatoes in the group’s FAO-supported greenhouse.. sweet potato cuttings, livestock and capacity building riffine Nyiranshuti’s was devastated when her T trainings. Beyond trainings and inputs for improved husband was sentenced to nine years in prison. Until individual household status, beneficiaries also received then, Triffine was a typical rural housewife; she cooked, support as a collective. They organized into a group cleaned, and took care of her six children. However, called “Impinduka” which means “transformation” in after the conviction, Triffine isolated herself and was Kinyarwanda and FAO supported them with a unsure how to support her family financially. Her greenhouse for tomato production. neighbors stopped speaking to her, she did not want to Assumpta BYUKUSENGE, executive secretary of leave her house due to the shame of the incarceration, Nyagisozi sector where Triffine lives, attests to the and eventually she stopped bathing and eating impact the FAO has made. “Thanks to the RWEE project, regularly. Over time, her children stopped going to our sector won the trophy for best performing sector in school and eventually they dropped out entirely. Nyaruguru district for three consecutive years! The But when FAO selected Triffine as a beneficiary of