Rwanda has made successful progress to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and someone would wonder how government is successful in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1) by 2015. My global picture for progress towards the MDG1 is uneven.

MDGs refer to eight international development goals set in 2000 to be achieved by 2015.

Rwanda is said to be on track to achieve full primary school enrolment (MDG 2) and gender equality and empowerment of women (MDG 3).

In primary education, the gender gap reached its goal of zero in 2005. Similarly, the gender gaps in literacy and parliamentary representation are now close to zero.

Government hopes that the implementation of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) will lead to significant reductions in poverty levels but my worry is whether this goal will be achieved in the remaining five years.

We acknowledge the efforts invested to accelerate the rate of poverty reduction like Vision 2020 Umurenge programme and Ubudehe program but this is not a guarantee that the goal will be attained by 2015.

These three programmes EDPRS, Ubudehe and Vision 2020 umurenge every one viewed them as strong frameworks for the achievement of the MDG 1.

Though the attainment of the MDGs has been the central pillar of the development programmes, unfortunately, progress has not been reflected at all levels.

According to the MDG 2007 Report, a number of people living in extreme poverty in developing countries is projected to rise from 340 million, or 45 percent of the population in 2000, to 470 million, or 50 percent of the population by the target date for achieving the MDGs, in 2015.

However, the target is constrained by agriculture production drop due to climate change where some areas are affected by major changes in rainfall and droughts.

In Rwanda like other LDCs one of the main obstacles to the achievement of the MDGs is the high population growth rate.

In Rwanda a policy not backed with any legislation of producing not more than three kids is on-going. But few people abide by it, yet reducing the number of unwanted births would also help reduce poverty, but this would certainly not be enough by itself.

Information from National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda shows that the country continues to grapple with the problems posed by a high maternal mortality ratio (MDG 5).

The country is also on progress with MDG 6 (combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases) and is making progress with the present prevalence rate of 3 percent and different efforts in place indicate that there is progress in the right direction for reducing HIV/AIDS infections in Rwanda.

However, MDGs can still be achieved, together with vision 2020. We should work hand in hand and actively participate to ensure human development to pursue the achievement of MDG 1.

The systematic participation is essential in combating poverty as it is elaborated in ‘Ubudehe’ program,‘ the local collective action’ meant to bring about rapid realization of the targets in goal one.

Recently during the launch of the Economic Report on Africa 2009 (ERA 2009) Finance Minister, James Musoni said the target of having half of the population above the poverty level is still a challenge though achievable.

"Poverty and hunger were the only goals that we didn’t hit. Hunger is not alarming with agriculture growing by about 11 percent (in the first half of 2009) but poverty is still a major challenge,” he explained.

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