NOTE: Vi Agroforestry has phased out work in Rwanda. Learn more here.
Watch the video about our 16 years in Rwanda:
Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, is a small country in East Africa known among other things for its scenic nature. Official sources estimate that about 70 percent of the people of Rwanda make their living from agriculture, and that two thirds of them are smallholder farmers. Yet engaging in farming can be a challenge in a country with a population density of about 500 people per square kilometer of land area (World Bank 2018).
We taught sustainable agricultural land management practices to help farmers keep their lands moist and fertile, get better yields, stop soil erosion, and be more resistent to the effects of climate change. We also empowered farmer families by teaching gender equality and we help them set up savings and loans groups since many of them lack access to banking services. All our work was carried out together with local partners, mostly farmers’ organisations. We helped our partners be strong, independent and effective at all levels so that they may serve the interests of smallholder farmers in the best possible ways. All our work was carried out under the umbrella of the Agroforestry for Livelihood Empowerment programme, in short the ALIVE programme.
Vi Agroforestry had a country office in the capital, Kigali. We worked closely with local partner organizations in the Gakenke, Rulindo and Gicumbi districts in the Northern province, the Kamonyi and Nyamagabe districts in the Southern province, the Kayonza district in the Eastern Province, and in the Gasabo district in and near Kigali city.
