Rwanda
OVERVIEW
Much has changed in Rwanda since the 1994 genocide that left more than 800,000 people dead. The Government of Rwanda is committed to development, recovery and reconciliation, and major milestones have already occurred, most notably in security and health. Internal and external security must, however, always be weighed against the gradual democratization and decentralization that the country requires for development. In Rwanda, USAID focuses on health, education, economic growth, and democracy and governance.
PROGRAMS
GOVERNING JUSTLY AND DEMOCRATICALLY
USAID supports Rwanda's decentralization process by building the capacity of 12 district governments to deliver services to their citizens. USAID also supports the establishment of legal aid centers for the poor and helps Rwanda's government improve the quality of legislation through a stronger legislative drafting process. Moreover, USAID supports programs that promote reconciliation and reduce the potential for conflict through regional radio programming for youth and increased dialogue and debate on important and sensitive national topics.
In July 2008, Rwanda was approved for the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold assistance program. This program will address governance and accountability issues by strengthening the capacity and independence of the judiciary, expanding opportunities for civic participation, and promoting civil rights and liberties.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE: HEALTH
USAID programs work to reduce maternal and child mortality, ensure access to decentralized health care, improve the quality and use of family planning methods, reduce malnutrition among children, and treat and prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. USAID also supports community-managed pre-paid health insurance schemes-"mutuelles"-in part because a mutuelle member is five times more likely to seek modern health care than a non-member.
Rwanda began fully implementing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2004, and the U.S. is Rwanda's largest donor of HIV/AIDS programming. Under PEPFAR, USAID supports the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, voluntary counseling and testing, HIV/AIDS care and treatment, and psycho-social services for people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans, and other vulnerable people.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE: EDUCATION
Building civil society and reducing gender disparities require an educated population. USAID provides scholarships to disadvantaged but academically talented girls and boys. Scholarship recipients are often orphans of war or HIV/AIDS, and have limited financial means. In Rwanda, the program grew from 67 beneficiaries in 1999 to nearly 2,000 in 2008, of which 77 percent are girls.
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Because four out of five Rwandans rely on subsistence agriculture, USAID's economic growth program is expanding agri-business opportunities, especially in the coffee and dairy sectors. In 2000, no specialty coffee was exported from Rwanda; in 2007, 2,600 metric tons were produced. Annual export revenue from this sub-sector has grown from zero to $8 million, and Rwandan specialty coffee has been featured by Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee as the "best of the best." USAID technical assistance for the Rwandan dairy industry enhances its competitiveness through the use of a more efficient and profitable value chain for quality milk, dairy products, and related inputs and services. In addition, the program seeks to expand access to economic opportunities for vulnerable people by involving people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans, and other vulnerable children into dairy-related income-generating activities.
In addition, USAID provides food assistance to vulnerable households, which contribute to employment, improved agricultural technologies, agri-business development, incomes, and food security. Over 850,000 Rwandans have benefited from the U.S. food assistance.
To promote eco-tourism, USAID works in Nyungwe National Park to increase the number of visitors, conserve biodiversity, and improve the livelihoods of Rwandans surrounding the park.
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