World Vision Rwanda on Tuesday, February 8, launched a new five-year national strategy. 

The 2021-2025 blueprint is designed to contribute toward sustainable wellbeing of up to two million most vulnerable children, according to officials.  

The new strategy is aligned with World Vision’s global strategy and the Government of Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST 1).

Under the past strategy (2016-2020), World Vision Rwanda mainly focused on improving the resilient livelihoods of small-holder farmers, agro-businesses, and entrepreneurs in target communities. 

Other aspects addressed under the previous strategy include maternal and child health, nutrition and WASH in communities as well as quality of education and life skills for children and youth in targeted communities, among others.

According to World Vision Rwanda’s National Director, Pauline Okumu, "the past strategy saw tremendous outcomes; 50 per cent universal water coverage in World Vision areas of operation which enabled vulnerable children and their communities to access clean water. 

"This, in turn, facilitated our other interventions in education, health and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene); nutrition, resilience and livelihoods, child protection and humanitarian emergency response.”

The outcomes of the previous strategy informed the new generation blueprint, the not-for-profit organisation said.  

Okumu noted that, "World Vision Rwanda will focus on four strategic child well-being objectives in order to achieve the goal and these are: increase in children who report an increased awareness of God’s love; increase in girls and boys protected from violence; increase in children who are well nourished (ages 0-5); and increase in primary school children who can read.”

Judith Kazaire, Head of Civil Society and Political organisations Department at the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), said that World Vision Rwanda "has a great reputation.”

She observed that the "safe and secure environment” in Rwanda had prompted World Vision to establish its regional headquarters in Kigali.

"This milestone demonstrates a deeper commitment of World Vision to the most vulnerable children and families as well as reaffirms their commitment to working closely with the Government of Rwanda,” she noted.

"We also want to applaud World Vision’s role and joining efforts with the Government of Rwanda to provide interventions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” she added. 

The new strategy 2021-2025 is the result of concerted efforts and consultations among the different stakeholders including the Government of Rwanda, civil society, faith-based organisations, children, parents, community leaders, and World Vision staff, among other partners. 

Partners, beneficiaries upbeat  

Julianna Lindsey, the UNICEF Country Representative in Rwanda, commended the new strategy which she said includes, "very important aspects for children's lives".

"I am very happy to see the inclusion of education and water sanitation in this new strategy, the continued focus on reducing poverty, and the continued focus on reducing stunting, which are all very important aspects in children’s life,”

"I, myself, have been to the field several times (visiting) World Vision activities and I’ve absolutely seen the impact they have in improving children’s lives,” she noted. 

Regis Francois, a 12-year-old World Vision registered child, through a poem recited during the event, thanked World Vision for providing them with basic needs such as access to clean water and education. 

"I thank World Vision for giving us basic needs, supporting our parents and caregivers so as to enable them to give us a life that we deserve,” he cited.  

As beneficiaries, he continued, we are grateful to World Vision for also considering our views and highlighting them in the new strategy, which will enhance a positive change among the children. 

Caritas Uwimana, a primary school teacher in Gakenke District, is also grateful for World Vision’s impact.   

She hailed the Christian NGO for the provision of parenthood training to mothers and fathers in Gakenke District, adding that it had proven successful.

"After being trained, they started respecting children's rights, some started providing a balanced diet to their children to tackle stunting while others started paying medical insurance for their offspring,” she noted. 

She added that World Vision extended its support to schools, through provision of infrastructure. "More classes, safe rooms and handwashing stations constructed by World Vision helped decongest the classrooms and facilitated a better learning environment for the children, especially girls,” Uwimana said.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. 

In Rwanda, the non-profit operates in all the 30 districts supporting more than 1.8 million people, especially children, through interventions in the areas of education; child sponsorship; health and nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and economic empowerment.

Delegates in a group photo during the launch of  World Vision Rwanda's new five-year national strategy.

Judith Kazaire, Head of Civil Society and Political organisations Department at the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) delivers her remarks.

Participants follow a presentation during the launch of  the new five-year national strategy. 

The official launch of  the new five-year national strategy of World Vision Rwanda took place in Kigali on February 9.

World Vision Rwanda’s National Director Pauline Okumu delivers her remarks during the launch.

World Vision Rwanda’s National Director Pauline Okumu speaks to  the media at the event.