Teachers have been encouraged to participate in the ‘Gira Iwawe’ programme, which aims to help them buy affordable homes. Development Bank of Rwanda, BRD, in collaboration with Umwalimu SACCO and Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) made the awareness to the educators two months ago in Gatsibo district.

It aims to help teachers purchase affordable and high-quality homes and has already attracted over 4,000 people.

The BRD’s initiative broadly encompasses different partners, including BPR, BK, Bank of Africa, NCBA, Zigama CS, and Umwalimu Sacco.

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Applicants must be Rwandan citizens, at least 18 years old, earning a monthly salary of less than Rwf 1.2 million. Applicants can check their eligibility on the ‘Gira Iwawe’ website (giriwawe.brd.rw) and, if approved, should visit partnering financial institutions for the loan processing.

The scheme is in line with the agreement BRD recently signed with the Teacher Cooperative SACCO worth Rwf 20 billion to help teachers get loans to buy houses easily.

The ‘Gira Iwawe’ programme has two categories. The first tier allows households earning less than Rwf 1.2 million per month to purchase a home costing no more than Rwf 40 million at an 11 per cent interest rate over a 20-year period. It is not required for the applicant to be a first-time home owner.

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The second tier is for families with monthly incomes ranging between Rwf 1.2 and 1.5 million able to purchase a home costing between Rwf 40 million to 60 million at a 13 per cent interest rate.

One unique aspect of the programme is that through their participating financial institutions, tier 1 eligible homeowners can request for refinancing of their existing mortgages at an interest rate of not more than 11 per cent, making it more affordable for them.

Clients who own plots may also apply for construction loans at the participating financial institutions, and after completing their homes, transfer their loans to ‘Gira Iwawe’ to ease repayment.

The coordinator of ‘Gira Iwawe’ at BRD, Emmanuel Ahabwe, said the move is meant to facilitate those who wish to build their own houses instead of buying.

Seraphine Uwimbabazi, an employee of Umwalimu SACCO, also emphasised that the ’Gira Iwawe’ programme focuses on improving teachers’ well-being, and unlike previous loan schemes, this one offers loans that can be paid off over 20 years instead of the usual 12.

Gira Iwawe can be accessed through other various financial institutions, including BPR Bank Rwanda, NCBA Bank, Bank of Africa (BoA), Zigama CSS, and Bank of Kigali.

The programme has since then been activated in the districts Gatsibo, Musanze, Nyagatare, Karongi, Rubavu, Nyamagabe, Gicumbi, Gakenke, Ngororero and Gisagara.

Zephanie Niyonsenga, an RHA employee responsible for helping financiers invest in Rwanda in line with the programme, says that in ‘Gira Iwawe’, RHA works with different investors to build affordable houses and approves eligibility of applicants through the Giriwawe system.

He said, "But we also monitor day-by-day how these houses are being built to ensure that there are no faults by the time the project is finished.”