The Project “Increasing food production and livelihood improvement in the Kamiranzovu marshland area, Burera District” was officially launched on Wednesday, the 17th February 2024, at Butaro Sector’s Office in the District of Burera.
Funded by the EU through its KUNGAHARA Programme, this three-year project—now known as KUNGAHARA Burera or KungaBu—seeks to enhance food production and improve livelihoods in the Kamiranzovu marshland area by: (1) increasing food production and reducing vulnerability to dry seasons and climate change linked drought spells through solar powered irrigation and sustainable land husbandry practices; (2) reducing losses from inadequate postharvest practices through increased access to produce drying and storing facilities; (3) reducing malnutrition through promotion of small livestock and kitchen gardens especially in vulnerable households; and by (4) increasing skills, awareness and technical know-how transfer to local farmers also taking into account the Project’s visibility.
The event commenced with remarks from Ms. Soline Mukamana, Mayor of Burera; Ms. Gonzalez Amparo, Team Leader of Agriculture and Environment, Gender at the Rwanda EU Delegation; Mr. Jean Claude Izamuhaye, Head of the Department of Crop Research and Technology Transfer at RAB (also representing MINAGRI); and Mr. Aloys Nsabimana, Chair of ARECO-RWANDA NZIZA. Public institutions in attendance included RAB, RNP, NCDA, NCF, and CNJ. Among the non-public entities and local community representatives were KOABUTA, KOAIRUGA, BYCI, PDD, CRS Rwanda, and Caritas Rwanda.
Ms. Soline, on behalf of Burera District, thanked the government of Rwanda for rehabilitating Kamiranzovu. She noted that this intervention has enhanced the area’s potential to attract more agricultural development initiatives, such as KungaBu. She also expressed gratitude to the EU for including KungaBu among the 13 projects nationwide to be financed under the KUNGAHARA Programme. Additionally, she thanked ARECO-RWANDA NZIZA, the co-implementer of KungaBu, for its longstanding and fruitful partnership with Burera District, and the Ministry of Agriculture for its close collaboration with the EU in designing the KUNGAHARA Programme.
In her remarks, Ms. Gonzalez noted that the EU is focusing on climate action to ensure Rwanda is resilient to climate change, land restoration, agroforestry, and the development of value chains. She also revealed that the EU is currently working on the Kigali Wholesale Market, envisioned as the central infrastructure for agricultural production in the country. With its storage capacity, this market will help farmers secure the best prices for their products. She believes this project has great potential to make the Kamiranzovu area a reliable supplier of agricultural products to the wholesale market under development.
The Project’s main activities include the installation of solar-powered irrigation systems on the hillsides of Biyove Village, situated within the Cell of Mubuga. Additionally, it will involve the establishment of facilities for drying maize and storing Irish potatoes. Further activities will focus on distributing small livestock in Biyove, constructing terraces, promoting conservation agriculture and composting practices, and building capacity in sustainable agriculture techniques.
After the presentation of the Project’s activities and ensuing discussions, the participants toured the project sites in the Sector of Butaro, where the planned activities will be carried out.
ARECO, under the supervision of Burera District through the designated Focal Person for the Project, will manage daily operations related to the Project, including tasks such as staff recruitment and management, as well as administrative and field processes.
Throughout the implementation phase, ARECO, under Burera District’s supervision via the designated Focal Person for the Project, will handle the daily operations related to the Project’s implementation, such as staff recruitment/management, and project related processes, both administratively and in the field.
As the lead implementer of KungaBu, Burera District will be responsible for liaising with the EU regarding all official matters concerning the project.
