The Government of Rwanda and GiveDirectly on Tuesday, February 24 signed a Poverty Acceleration Co-Financing Basket Fund Framework Agreement. The partnership agreement, signed between the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and GiveDirectly, establishes a fund designed to accelerate poverty reduction through district-level and cash-based graduation investments. ALSO READ: Rwanda, GiveDirectly to strengthen partnership in poverty reduction According to the finance ministry, the partnership aims to mobilise more than $150 million (approximately Rwf219 billion) over five years to drive a 25 per cent reduction in poverty across the five districts with the highest rates. The targeted districts include Nyamagabe, Gisagara, Rusizi and Nyanza, according to the ministry. Nyanza District Acting Mayor Patrick Kajyambere said the district has previously benefited from similar interventions in sectors such as Cyabakamyi and Nyagisozi. ALSO READ: Can Rwanda evolve into a poverty-free country? GiveDirectly’s mission to accelerate poverty reduction in Rwanda “We have already seen results from previous projects that aimed to help families eradicate poverty,” Kajyambere said. “They included providing livestock and supporting environmental protection activities such as wetland farming, which created jobs for poor households and helped them improve their livelihoods.” He added that earlier support from GiveDirectly in 2023 enabled beneficiaries to acquire livestock and boost agricultural production. “Those projects helped households start owning animals and strengthened their farming activities,” he said. Rusizi District Mayor Phanuel Sindayiheba said the new programme is expected to benefit more than 14,000 households. “If this project comes as planned, it will help over 14,000 households to move out of poverty,” Sindayiheba said. “In previous years, we had a similar project in Butare Sector, which improved people’s wellbeing and also taught us lessons on how to make future support more effective.” He noted that under earlier GiveDirectly interventions, households received between Rwf600,000 and Rwf1.2 million depending on household size. However, he stressed the importance of preparing beneficiaries before they receive support. “When people are not prepared, they may misuse the money and fail to graduate from poverty,” Sindayiheba said. “Graduation is not just about giving money, livestock or projects; it is about equipping people to use that support sustainably.” He added that the district has already compiled a database of the most vulnerable households. “We already know who needs the support most, so when the project starts, we will not struggle to identify beneficiaries,” he said. Nyamagabe Vice Mayor for Economic Development Thaddée Habimana said the district targets helping 12,500 people graduate from poverty. “We have existing measures such as the Girinka programme and employment through public works to support that goal,” Habimana said. “We also use social workers who regularly visit beneficiaries to ensure the support they receive is working. For example, if a cow is sick, it is treated, and if cash is given, we follow up to see whether it is being used productively.” He also highlighted that the district works with other government agencies including the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and the Ministry of Agriculture through projects such as Prisma to provide small livestock like pigs and chicken. “In 2022 and 2023, GiveDirectly supported poor households in Musange, Mbazi, Kibumbwe, and Mugano sectors with Rwf800,000 each,” Habimana revealed.
