Godelive Twizerimana, 42, a resident of Kigabiro Cell, Rutunga Sector in Gasabo District lost her husband in 1994. 

Thereafter, she lived in the home of her late husband’s parents who had died earlier until she was hounded out of the home by her in-laws.

"I was worried about my life and that of my son born in 1994. I was so poor and could hardly afford food,” she said.

However, Twizerimana said her life has since been transformed, thanks to Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP).

VUP is a social protection programme under the Ministry of Local Government and Social Affairs.

"I have benefitted from the programme since 2010. I now get food and other basic necessities,” she said.

She said in 2010, they formed a cooperative of nine people and secured a Rwf900,000 loan which they spent on buying two cross-breed cows and two years later, she received an ox which she later sold.

"I then deposited the money on my account and it helped me secure a Rwf500,000 loan. I used the loan to buy a plot of land and construct a house,” she said.

In 2011, the group secured another Rwf900,000 loan and invested it in a vegetable business, dealing in pepper and tomatoes.

"We got profits from both loans and paid them on time. Those who had children in school have been able to pay school fees,” she said.

Twizerimana said they only pay 2 per cent annual interest on VUP loans, which she considers very conducive for them to run business.

She contends that VUP has made them dare seek loans, and then properly use and manage them for profit.

Jean Damascène Muhizi, 38, from Rwintare Village, also in Rutunga Sector, said in 2005, after spending 14 years in prison, he rejoined community with almost nothing.

He said that he used VUP money to buy and sell goats and earned profits which he later used to buy an ox. Muhizi says his life has since been transformed.

"If VUP had not come to my rescue, I would be leading a miserable life,” he said.

VUP beneficiaries are vulnerable people that fall under the first and second Ubudehe categories. Through the same programme, the beneficiaries also get their medical insurance premiums of Rwf3,000 per year paid.

Raymond Musafiri, the manager of VUP at Rutunga Sector, said they make follow ups to ensure that the loans beneficiaries get are not wasted.

Others benefit in terms of working on different public works for which they are paid Rwf1,200 daily. However, beneficiaries want the remunerations increased to match market prices.

They also call for a credit line under VUP to be increased so that they can start up long-term projects.

Normally, an individual gets Rwf60,000 loan, a group gets between Rwf75,000 and Rwf85,000, with the ceiling being 2,250,000, while a cooperative gets up to Rwf5 million, with each member getting at least Rwf100,000.

VUP outlook

VUP started in 2008 as a flagship of EDPRS1 which ran from 2008 through 2012. In the EDPRS2, VUP is under the Rural Development Thematic area.

The programme contains three pillars; VUP public works for the poor who are able to work, VUP direct support consisting of cash transfers for very poor households without labour capacity, and VUP financial services.

The 2010/11 third Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV3) designed to monitor poverty and living conditions shows that the percentage of individuals living below the poverty line was 45 per cent national average, from 57 per cent in 2007.

VUP is widely credited with helping lift one million Rwandans out of poverty between 2008 and 2012.

Justine Gatsinzi, Deputy Director General of Social Protection at Local Entities Development Agency (Loda), said VUP impact can be seen in different ways.

He said people have built houses, bought livestock, begun saving in Saccos, and joined cooperatives, among others.

In regard to proper use of public funds, Loda says it works mainly on training local authorities and VUP managers about proper management of public finance to ensure VUP meets its mandate.

"Any VUP penny diverted can derail our poverty reduction efforts,” Gatsinzi said.

The process of targeting the appropriate households comes in two stages; identifying the poorest sectors in each district and then targeting the poorest households within each sector.

Figures from Loda show that during the 2013/2014 fiscal year, Rwf9.3 billion was disbursed for Direct Support among 240 sectors, while over Rwf5 billion was spent on wages for public works by VUP beneficiaries in 210 sectors.

This financial year 2014/2015, VUP earmarked Rwf11.8 billion for direct support in 330 sectors while Rwf13 billion was earmarked for public works.

Vision 2020 targets to reduce the poverty rate to 30 per cent.

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