Buberuka Area Program

Buberuka is a densely populated community of 82,132 in northern Rwanda. The unemployment rate is lower than the national average. However, reliance on subsistence farming, coupled with population density, leads to a scarcity of land. This has contributed to Buberuka ranking among the country’s most impoverished regions.

Farmers grow Irish potatoes, maize and beans, and raise cows, sheep and chickens. There is also some activity in tourism, fishing and mining (coltan and tin).

The community is ethnically homogenous and there is no political strife outside of some inter-family conflict over land, resource management and secession. Reconciliation continues following the genocide of 1994, but there are some fears that a “genocide ideology” still has some influence at the community level.

Similar to the employment situation, Buberuka is doing better than the national averages among some health and education indicators for children. However, concerning the former, health facilities are unequally distributed. This makes accessing healthcare very difficult for many people. In school, an increasing number of children are dropping out.

Rwanda has articulated what it calls “Vision 2050,” which sets strategic direction for broad-based development. There is hope for the future of this vision because progress has already been made over the last two decades on several fronts. These include increasing incomes, promoting homegrown solutions, establishing rule of law and advocating for gender equality. In tandem with World Vision, Buberuka’s projects intend to help identify priorities within Vision 2050. Locally, both community members and government officials have expressed a willingness to improve child well-being in terms of food security, education, health and water.

Buberuka’s priorities for development include education, livelihoods and health. The community is experiencing a decline in the number of students moving from primary to secondary school. Subsistence agriculture is not providing enough income or food to maintain food security so malnutrition continues to be a serious problem. Finally, while water is available to a majority of residents, critical public infrastructure, including health centres, is not connected to water supply systems.

Education

Schools are not well equipped and are overcrowded with pupil to teacher ratios of 56 to 1. Drop out rates have climbed 20 per cent in three years. The issue starts early due to low enrolment of children in early childhood education—with about 70 per cent of children not attending at all. Similarly, rates of enrolment in technical/vocational education and tertiary education are very low. This is indicated by a transition rate from primary to secondary education of only 72 per cent.

Livelihoods

Among Rwanda’s 30 districts, Buberuka is ranked the sixth poorest. About 50 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, and just under 20 per cent live in extreme poverty. Agriculture is the dominant economic activity. However, a combination of limited arable land, environmental degradation due to soil erosion and low productivity in livestock rearing keeps farming at a subsistence level. Alternative economic activity is limited by a lack of access to productive assets and inadequate financial literacy. In addition to family conflict, some cultural factors also play a role, including polygamy and early marriage.

Health

Malnutrition is a serious problem in Buberuka where 42 per cent of children are stunted and 10 per cent are underweight. This compares to national averages of 33 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. The issue is attributed to a variety of factors, including inadequate levels of breastfeeding, incomplete vaccination regimens, and a lack of home kitchen gardens. Health centres are not evenly distributed with some residents having to travel over 10 kilometres to reach one. Access to clean water is spotty. Some villages have access, but quantities are insufficient. Some 54 per cent have no access at all. Water isn’t always close by either with 34 per cent of the population having to travel over 30 minutes to get it.

Local leaders, organizations, children and families in Buberuka have collaborated with World Vision and together, we have created a plan to move forward in addressing the community’s challenges within the following areas.

Education

To help children be better prepared for primary and secondary education, World Vision will:

• Provide life skills training to adolescents and vocational training to youth 16 years and older.
• Collaborate with the Rwanda Education Board to build teachers’ skill and enhance access to quality curriculum and learning materials.
• Increase community support for children’s reading camps.
• Work with school administration to improve access to, and quality of, early childhood development centres.

Livelihoods

To help the community improve the local economy and reduce poverty, World Vision will:

• Collaborate with the Rwanda Agricultural Board to build the skills of farmers and the extension of services to them.
• Involve children in tree-planting activities.
• Focus on ensuring programs include solutions for those living with disabilities.
• Provide training in the form of technical coaching and mentoring, including on investment and saving.
• Promote the agricultural value chain and support farmers to access markets and increase income from farm activities (agriculture and livestock).

Health

To help ensure children avoid malnutrition and other illness, World Vision will:

• Involve children in hygiene clubs and kitchen gardens.
• Collaborate with Rwanda’s National Children Council to ensure priority is given to universal access to healthcare.
• Partner with the government to address water scarcity and accessibility for all.
• Integrate activity into the existing health system network of Community Health Workers, to ensure information reaches the village level.