The Kabuga community programme
The Kabuga community development programme is located in the
Rusororo area of Gasabo district, 22km from Rwanda's capital city
of Kigali. World Vision reaches a population of 24,730. World
Vision's partnership with the community started in 2005 and is
envisaged to continue until 2022, when the community will be fully
equipped with the resources and skills to take ownership of its own
development. In the past year, significant improvements were made
in the areas of education, water, and food security for the most
vulnerable.
Issues covered: Food security,
education and water
Updates on World Vision's work
Education and water
- The capacity building of parent teachers' associations at eight
schools in the Rusororo disrict, has resulted in an increased
enrolment rate of 92 per cent, particularly for girls, and a 5 per
cent decrease in the school dropout rate.
- To provide safe and clean water to children, reduce water-borne
diseases, and improve hygiene, World Vision supported four primary
schools with six water tanks. In addition, 16 school principals and
32 teachers were educated on the importance of maintaining good
hygiene and sanitation in schools to keep children healthy.
Food security
- 238 community health workers were trained in income-generating
activities such as livestock management, to help support orphans
and vulnerable children whose families have been affected by HIV
and AIDS.
- To help improve vulnerable families' nutrition and household
income, 1070 chickens were provided to community health
associations, as well as people living with a disability. In
addition, more than 120 malnourished children benefited from
essential nutrition packages and food security projects.
The Kabuga community is in the eighth year of its development
journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Kabuga
A World Vision nutrition specialist
(right) visits 3-year-old Patrick and his mother, following
Patrick's recovery from severe malnutrition.
Over 80 per cent of Kabuga's population depends on agriculture
for a livelihood, with a majority cultivating traditional food
crops. When World Vision started working with Kabuga in 2005, over
half of all families ate only one meal a day, and 40 per cent of
children were diagnosed with stunted growth. Since then, World
Vision has been working alongside the community to improve
families' nutrition through education, and support farmers to adopt
modern farming methods to increase crop production. In the past
year, at least 500 families were assisted with seeds and livestock,
such as dairy cows and goats, to increase their household income. A
total of 370 malnourished children have recovered fully after
receiving treatment at nutrition centres. One of these children, is
3-year-old Patrick. When he fell ill, his parents and neighbours
thought he had been poisoned. World Vision staff supported
Patrick's parents to take him to a nutrition centre where he was
treated for severe malnutrition. His parents also received
nutrition education. "I appreciate the effort by World Vision to
touch and transform the lives of my community, especially children
affected by malnutrition. I have been a beneficiary of the good
work World Vision is doing in transforming the life of my child and
the people in this community," says Patrick's mother.
Rwanda at a glance
The two most well-known images of Rwanda are in stark contrast.
The first image is of peaceful gorillas living on misty mountains.
The second is of genocide; a nation split in two along ethnic
lines, refugees and more than 800,000 orphaned children.
I appreciate the effort by World Vision to touch and
transform the lives of my community, especially children affected
by malnutrition.
- Mother of Patrick, a young boy who has
recovered from severe malnutrition