In the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the new government adopted unconventional measures to find solutions to the challenges the country faced.
As part of efforts to reconstruct post-genocide Rwanda and nurture a shared national identity, the government drew on aspects of Rwandan culture and traditional practices to enrich and adapt its development programmes to the country's needs and context. A unique approach to social-economic development was adopted.
According to the Rwanda Governance Board, home grown solutions are the country's 'trade mark' solutions developed by Rwandans based on local opportunities, cultural values and history to fast track their development.
In a 2014 impact assessment published by RGB, the custodian of home-grown initiatives, it was noted that in the context of post-Genocide Rwanda, home grown policies generated numerous success stories in strengthening the delivery of the strategy for accelerating progress and shaping the country's development in the future. The most celebrated include Umuganda, Gacaca, Abunzi, Imihigo, Ubudehe, Itorero, Umushyikirano, Umwiherero, and Girinka. But there are several others.
1. Itorero
The civic education programme, also known as Itorero, was reintroduced in 2009 as a way to rebuild the nation's social fabric and mobilise Rwandans to uphold important cultural values and spur a sense of dedication to their country. Its reintroduction aimed to develop a civic education programme based on patriotic values that strengthen Rwandans' contribution to the development of their country and the well-being of their society.
About four years later, a National Itorero Commission (NIC), or Itorero ry'Igihugu, an independent commission responsible for planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of programmes at all levels of society, was created to drive the programme.
Boniface Rucagu, 78, a former chairperson of NIC, told The New Times that "its vision is to build a society with a shared mindset and values that promote unity and patriotism, as well as awareness of the goals of the country and how they can be achieved."
He added: "Everything is based on the good values recognized by our forefathers. The good deeds, patriotism, and much more."
'They were infuriated because we held a good election without their help'
In 2009, Rucagu, one of the country's longest serving civil servants, became Chairperson of NIC until August 2017 when he became a member of the Rwandan Elders Advisory Forum. Asked where Rwanda would be without its home-grown initiatives, Rucagu, noted that the country would still be colonized and fully dependent on foreign support.
Rucagu said: "The colonialists would still be ruling over us, hindering our development and freedom. A good example is the manner in which Westerners wanted to hold us to ransom during the 2003 general election. They threatened that if we don't do things the way they want then they were not going to give us funds for the polls, or they would withdraw their aid. We were not speaking the same language on matters such as 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, and Gacaca policy.
"To arm twist us, they were accusing our government of many things; telling so many lies about us. They wanted to dictate terms. And we refused that. We devised our own means; found our own resources and managed the elections our own way and they were still infuriated because we held a good election without their help."
2. Girinka
Another major home-grown pro-people initiative was Girinka, the one cow per poor family programme introduced in 2006. Despite the some challenges which were often identified and fixed, it played a great role in alleviating poverty, and improving nutrition while improving livelihoods for poor rural families. Jean Bosco Ndatimana, a rural farmer in Kirehe District, remembers the exhilaration on December 8, 2010, when 30 Friesian cows were brought to Kamasaro, a village of about 190 households at the time and distributed to 30 poor families including his.
"My cow gave birth about a week later, on December 15, and quickly, my family's situation was being transformed. Our cow produced eight litres of milk in the morning. The calf would take two liters, we consumed two, and sold four. In the evening, the cow would give us eight more litres! So, just do the maths! Think about it!" Ndatimana said.
At the time, the current father of four had three children - the oldest then eight - who needed milk. "We were delighted! We were poor rural folks with poor agricultural yields year in, year out. Before then, ours was a tough life! It was the first time anyone in our village owned a cow."
At the time, Ndatimana's family owned a 3,500 square meter plot where they toiled to grow subsistence crops like beans, sorghum and maize. Soil fertility was very poor, he recalls. Each season, Ndatimana remembers, the family harvested not more than 40 kilos of maize. Soon after the cow's arrival, that changed, quickly.
He said: "I was young, strong, and so determined not to fail my family. So, I worked hard. We now had manure and, guess what, from 40 kilos of maize we were, soon afterwards, able to harvest 300 kilos per season! Since then, besides selling milk, I have sold five bulls. I own four cows now and three hectares of land with a banana plantation. My family used to live in a small house but we upgraded to a better and bigger house."
To speed up the multiplier effect of the Girinka programme, a beneficiary is obliged to give the first-born female calf to another selected beneficiary in the community, often a neighbour. The beneficiaries increase their farm productivity thanks to manure they get from the cows.
'Liberation Day is a huge meaningful celebration'
In not more than a month, all the 30 families that received cows in the village had calves, and milk. A year later, each family gave another poor family a calf to start rearing. With proper care, after about 10 months, the calves were mature. A dairy cow doesn't produce milk until she has a calf. She is about two years old when she has her first calf.
"We did not only give cows to people in our village but also to people in other cells and sectors in our region," Ndatimana said, adding, "Thirty years later, for us Liberation Day is a huge meaningful celebration."
Ndatimana's spouse Epiphanie Mukamurenzi continues to work on their farm but she was able to buy a sewing machine and use it to diversify the family's source of income. She said: "The cow changed our lives in so many ways. I couldn't have afforded my sewing machine without the cows. Most importantly, I am happy that our daughter and all our other children are in school. Our first born, the girl, has just started university and will graduate in the next three years. What else could we ask for? Our future is so bright!"
Country-wide, more than 450,000 cows have been distributed under the programme since its inception. As a result of such support, milk production increased from 442,337 metric tonnes in 2011 to 891,326 metric tonnes in 2021.
3. Umushyikirano
Coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Umushyikirano Council, or Umushyikirano, is an annual forum where citizens from all walks of life debate issues relating to the state of the nation, the state of local government and national unity. The first was held in June 2003.
Chaired by the President, the forum attended by members of the Cabinet and Parliament, representatives of the Rwandan community abroad, local government, media, the diplomatic community and others is an opportunity for Rwandans to put questions directly to their leaders. It serves as a forum for Rwandans to hold their leaders and government to account.
By directly engaging with their leaders, Rwandans become part of the decision-making process that affects their lives. About 1,000 people attend in person, while thousands of others follow proceedings through live TV coverage, online and radio. The main achievements of Umushyikirano are the participation of citizens in national decision making and the fast-tracking of government programmes and citizen priorities based on the resolutions tabled each year.
Amb Joseph Mutaboba, a retired Rwandan and international diplomat, said that without such exchanges, no chances would have been given to Rwandans to talk about their future and how to shape it. Getting and spending precious time together helps Rwandan citizens to talk and agree on innovative transformational programmess that shape the country's sustainable development, "something we had been deprived of for a long time," he said.
Mutaboba added: "The sense of Rwanda as a unified Nation of Banyarwanda long divided into artificial so-called ethnic groups brings more unity in thinking and acting as one. Without Umushyikirano, Rwanda would still be a divided country as deliberately devised by colonialists and post colonial authorities until the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
"Rwandans would still be embracing poverty instead of fighting and alleviating it together on various platforms. Without Umushyikirano meetings and practical recommendations that come out of it every year, the country's economy would be at a standstill compared to the dynamic changes that characterise Rwanda these last 30 years of impressive transformations across the board. Authorities of all ranks feel constantly on the call to perform and be more answerable to the Banyarwanda as a people whether leaders or the led citizens. I wished such Umushyikirano would be organised across Africa to give a sense of ownership and respect for their people and their country."
4. Gacaca
After the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi when over one million people were killed, the government initiated the Gacaca courts, a Rwandan traditional community-based justice system, to handle genocide crimes.
ALSO READ: Gacaca triggered greater openness to reconciliation - research
Through Gacaca, Rwandans proved the capacity to solve their own problems, to mend the social fabric, and reveal the truth about the Genocide which had been prepared for a long-time. Gacaca courts were used as one of the ways to get rid of impunity and a lesson to respect human rights, especially the right to life and equality of all Rwandans before the law.
Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, the current Chairperson of Rwanda Law Reform Commission who was the Executive Secretary of Gacaca courts until the system was officially closed in 2012, noted that Gacaca did a lot, including ending a culture of impunity, creating space for healing, strengthening Rwandans' unity, and demonstrating Rwandans' capacity to solve their own problems, in 10 years.
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She said: "Speeding up trials was one of Gacaca's objectives. In 1996, the country had over 136,000 returnees, all suspects of genocide crimes. Only 6,000 of them had been tried through the normal system at the tribunal of first instance. Had we relied on the normal system, it would have taken over 100 years for justice to be delivered.
"Many foreigners had made themselves into Rwanda experts, proposing solutions such as separating our people along ethnic lines. But Gacaca disapproved them. Gacaca showed that a criminal can turn into a good human being. Rwandans' unity got a solid foundation from gacaca. And everything was based on the political will for unifying Rwandans. Gacaca operated in a context of good political will."
Gacaca courts came to a celebrated and successful end on June 18, 2012 after trying more than 1.9 million cases.
5. Bye Bye Nyakatsi
The government introduced a campaign against grass-thatched houses, dubbed 'Bye-bye Nyakatsi', to ensure poor people countrywide had better shelter. When the programme started in 2010, the target was to construct over 124, 000 houses with the government donating construction materials including iron sheets, and nails.
With the assistance of the government and the participation of the population as well as the Rwandan diaspora, hundreds of vulnerable families around the country benefitted from new houses built for them through the programme. Grass thatched shelters have been effectively phased out, since 2014.
6. Community Health Workers
A community health programme started in 1995 with about 12,000 volunteers at cell level for mobilizing communities through health education to seek medical care in health facilities.
The number of community health workers (CHWs) grew to 58,567 in 2018. The community health workers, members of a community chosen to provide basic medical care, and are capable of providing preventive and rehabilitation care, are the champions of primary healthcare delivery across the country.
ALSO READ: Community health workers; the 'unsung heroes' of Covid-19
From 2015 onwards, the role of CHWs was upgraded from health education and promotion of facility-based deliveries to treating under-five children for major killer diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea. They could also screen children with anemia and malnutrition and refer them to health centres for immediate care and support.
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It is because of their efforts that 83 per cent of health conditions in Rwanda are treated at primary healthcare levels.
7. Umuganda
Re-introduced in 1998, Umuganda is conducted every last Saturday of the month where community members, at village level, jointly undertake cleaning activities from 08:00 to 11:00 in their neighbourhoods. Besides undertaking community work, Umuganda also serves as a forum for leaders at each level of government to inform citizens about important news and announcements. Community members also discuss any problems they, or the community, are facing and propose solutions together.
ALSO READ: Umuganda is about hard work and cooperation - Kagame
Umuganda was reintroduced to Rwandan life as part of efforts to rebuild the country after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The cleanliness of Rwanda was achieved due to Umuganda.
8. Abunzi
Mediation committees, or Abunzi, were reintroduced in 2004. A hybrid of conventional justice system and Rwanda's traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, these mediators provide services as a prerequisite for parties to bring an action before competent courts.
Elected by members of their communities, they operate at cell and sector level (appeal) in every district. Abunzi were, traditionally, persons known within their communities for personal integrity and were asked to intervene in the event of conflict.
ALSO READ: Why was the law governing Abunzi amended?
Mediators serve on a volunteer and non-remunerated basis. The system's restorative approach helps people to address their conflicts without resorting to litigation.
9. Imihigo
Imihigo, or performance contracts, are presented to the public for the purpose of accountability and transparency during the planning and reporting phases.
Imihigo have been credited with improving accountability and accelerating citizen-centred development.
They are signed annually between the President of the Republic and local leaders so as to commit the latter to achieving certain agreed development objectives.
The practice, introduced as a home-grown performance management tool in 2006, seeks to promote decentralisation of governance and fast-tracking of development efforts.
10. Umwiherero
The National Leadership Retreat, or Umwiherero, originates from a tradition in Rwandan culture where leaders convened in a secluded place in order to reflect on issues affecting their communities and find solutions.
The government has drawn on this tradition to reflect on, and address, the challenges the country faces on an annual basis.
During Umwiherero, presentations and discussions focus on a broad range of development challenges, including economics, politics, justice, infrastructure, health, education, and others. In modern-day Umwiherero, senior public officials and leaders from the private sector and from civil society meet to address Rwanda's challenges.
Umwiherero is a unique governance tool that allows Rwanda's leaders to hold themselves accountable. It provides them an opportunity to reflect on the country's progress and identify strategies to accelerate the delivery of national priorities while solving ongoing challenges.
11. Ubudehe
Ubudehe is a Rwandan cultural practice of mutual assistance among people living in the same area in order to overcome or solve their socio-economic problems. In the past, Ubudehe focused on agricultural activities to ensure timely agricultural operations for food security purposes.
Ubudehe classifications, which are based on household financial status, were re-introduced by the government in 2000 as part of the strategies to address poverty reduction. The classifications were designed to bolster the decentralization process in Rwanda while contributing to poverty reduction and promoting community cohesion and reconciliation.
They were scrapped in 2023 as the government developed a better system dubbed "Imibereho Social Registry System" to help identify needy people who genuinely require special support.
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12. Ndi Umunyarwanda
Ndi Umunyarwanda, means 'I am Rwandan'. Initiated in 2013 to build a Rwandan identity based on trust and dignity, the programme aims to strengthen unity and reconciliation among Rwandans by providing a forum for people to talk about the causes and consequences of the 1994 genocide as well as what it means to be Rwandan.
ALSO READ: Ndi Umunyarwanda is a pact that binds us all - First Lady
By and large, Ndi Umunyarwanda is about feeling and being proud of being Rwandans with a common goal to love, protect and develop the country.
13. Kwita Izina
Kwita Izina, an annual a global celebration of nature modelled off a centuries old tradition in which Rwandans name their children in the presence of family and friends, started in 2005.
For the past 19 years, mountain gorillas in Rwanda are born, named, and celebrated, to raise awareness and funds for the protection and expansion of their habitat. Celebrating these unique species in Rwanda is a recognition of the critical need for conservation-based tourism and economic development through the protection of natural ecosystems.
The programme ensures that 10 per cent of all park revenues is returned to the communities living near the parks. Over Rwf10 billion (about US$9 million) has been spent on more than 1,000 community-based projects around Akagera, Nyungwe, Volcanoes and Gishwati-Mukura National Parks since the start of the programme. The projects availed clean drinking water, milk, health centers, classrooms and housing to members of the communities living around these national parks.
14. Agaciro Fund
Agaciro Development Fund is Rwanda's sovereign wealth fund that was initiated by Rwandans in December 2011 during the nineth Umushyikirano.
The name Agaciro embodies dignity, self-reliance, and self-worth.
ALSO READ: Agaciro Fund celebrates 10 years, aspires to greater socio-economic impact
The fund grew to Rwf320 billion as of May, from Rwf18.5 billion in 2012, the year it was launched, as it accumulated significant assets under management more than a decade ago, according to data from the organisation. It was established to build up public savings to achieve self-reliance, maintain stability in times of national economic shocks, and accelerate Rwanda's socio-economic development goals.
15. Mutuelle de santé
Community Based Health Insurance, or Mutuelle de Santé, is a solidarity health insurance system in which persons (families) come together and pay contributions for the purpose of protection and receipt of medical care.
Mutuelle de Santé was established in order to help people with low-income access medical care at affordable cost. Last year, Mutuelle de Santé collected Rwf85 billion in contributions, and paid Rwf75 billion in benefits - to cater for the scheme's subscribers' health insurance.
16. FARG
Since its inception in 1998, the Genocide Survivors Assistance Fund (FARG) spent billions taking survivor children to school, building homes, providing medical assistance and direct support to the most vulnerable in addition to funding genocide survivors' development projects.
ALSO READ: Minister Bizimana re-assures FARG beneficiaries as agency is dissolved
From 1998 to 2020, the fund had helped build new houses for 29,015 genocide survivors and renovated 4,050 other houses. It provided financial support to 54,680 survivors for their income generating projects and distributed 7,510 cows under the Girinka programme. In education, 107,921 students were supported to study until the completion of secondary school level, while 33,349 were supported to study in universities and other higher-learning institutions.
The list of Rwanda's pro-people initiatives is long. Several others, including the Imidugudu model of village settlements, the 2006 ban on harmful plastic or polythene material, efforts to enhance universal education, and provision of seed and fertiliser subsidies, help accelerate national development while leaving no one behind.
