Beneficiaries of the Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) across the country have been urged to make good use of opportunities availed to them to escape poverty and sustain their socio-economic transformation.

"I would like to encourage our beneficiaries to feel that their role is paramount. The government can do anything for you but without your will, your values, all these efforts would be in vain,” said Assumpta Ingabire, State Minister in charge of Social Affairs in the Ministry of Local Government.

In 2008, the Government initiated VUP programme to lift people from extreme poverty and change their livelihoods through different initiatives geared at economic transformation.

By then, the rate of extreme poverty was at 36 per cent of Rwandan households, and so far, it has been reduced by 20 per cent.

VUP helps beneficiaries under its different components such as direct cash transfers to the most vulnerable members of households without any labour force, provision of micro loans to extremely poor individuals but endowed with working ability, to groups and cooperatives to run some income generating projects, skills development initiatives to the attention of the youth from poorest families, to name but a few.

Such support is unconditional but beneficiaries are expected to engage in appropriate skill acquisition in areas like handcraft, and social service activities.

On credit packages, bearers benefit from VUP insurance scheme to facilitate them to access credit from local microfinance institutions, namely Umurenge SACCO, after the ease of requirements thanks to the insurance provided.

The VUP also includes paid public works intended for adult men and women from vulnerable households to work in community projects such as road maintenance, making radical terraces, and others.

The VUP programme has over the past 14 years been implemented in all 416 sectors of the country, though not in full territorial coverage of all its components due to financial constraints.

Figures from VUP report show that so far, 300,000 families are recorded into the social protection programmes as direct beneficiaries to the programme.

Claudine Marie Solange Nyinawagaga, the Director-General of LODA disclosed that the budget of poverty alleviation in the fiscal year 2021-2022 is Rwf67 billion rising from Rwf8 billion that they started with.

VUP, through para-social workers, works hand in hand with civil society and non-governmental organizations to support the underprivileged and help them understand how to make the best use of the opportunities at their disposal.

Claudine Benimana shows her piece of land to a journalist in Gikomero Sector, Gasabo District on on March 3, 2022. / Dan Nsengiyumva

Appolonie Mukamasabo, Mayor of Nyamasheke District, said that they witnessed an increase in hygiene and sanitation amongst citizens of their district thanks to VUP.

"Through ‘Sasa Neza’ (loosely translated as comfort bedding) program, parents and their children now sleep comfortably on mattresses. Another program called ‘Ndi Urugero’ (I am an example) has freed VUP beneficiaries from jigger parasites because their houses are now well cemented,” she noted.

She added that beneficiaries are now experiencing food security owing to a mechanism of putting them in groups that raise chickens, under a program dubbed ‘Inkoko ya mama, igi rya bebe’ (Chicken for the mother, egg for the child) they have ensured that no child suffers from severe malnutrition.

Challenges encountered

Throughout the implementation of social protection programs, "the major challenge lies into people’s mind-set,” said Nyinawagaga.

"People’s mind-sets becomes a challenge in terms of them being happy to remain in the comfort zone of being supported, and feel that the government should provide everything for them,” she said.

Also, she observed, they do not take advantage of opportunities availed to them through these programs, "when a beneficiary receives money either earned from public works or meant to purchase livestock, they sometimes tend to misuse it thinking that the government will provide more for them.”

"It’s a serious issue because they remain among dependents and can neither meet the needs of their families nor sustain development.”

Another challenge faced was the untimely payment to beneficiaries but Nyinawagaga said it has been resolved. However, the issue of limited resources is still persistent.

"The resources we have today do not allow us to reach every household below the poverty line,” she added on.

‘Community inclusivity’

Minister Ingabire said that they have adopted different strategies from lessons learned.

"In the past, the community was called beneficiaries but now we want to make them partners and invite them to play an active role in whatever is being done for them,” she said.

She explained that onwards, they are going to engage every citizen in categories under VUP depending on their respective needs and by collaborating more with partners to cover wherever the initiative does not manage to reach.

Another strategy, she noted, is to observe gender equality and complementarity, "There are times we just assumed that men are the only ones with the ability to work in a certain household, yet you may find that women also have something to offer.”

"We expect that by 2024, we will have zero percent or less than one percent of people under extreme poverty. It requires strength and joint efforts from parties involved,” said Nyinawagaga.