Rwanda
Capital: Kigali
Population: 10,473,282
Population below national poverty line: 60%
Bóthar in Rwanda:
Rwanda became a Bóthar project country in 1997. In Rwanda, Bóthar have dairy cow projects and a bee project. Bóthar airlifted 70 in calf dairy heifers to Rwanda in 1997 followed by a second airlift of 70 in calf dairy heifers in 1998. Bóthar began airlifting animals into Rwanda again in October 2006 and continues to send airlifts to Rwanda on average 3 times a year.
Rwanda Project Profile
Project title:
Msaada 'Honey for Money' Project
Location: The Nyarabuye District and surrounding areas of Eastern Rwanda
Number of families: 200
Animals: Bees
Other inputs: Beehives and equipment
Training: Quality and grading of honey, honey processing, harvesting honey, bucket care and keeping records
Brief synopsis: Each family will receive one hive initially and they will save and sell honey to improve their standard of living and nutrition while also contributing to the education costs of their children
Pass-on obligations: The recipient farmers will pass on the gift to other members of the community. This will be done by the beneficiaries contributing a percentage of their income to a central fund. This percentage will be decided by the participating groups but typically it will range from 5% to 15% depending on the income achieved. This fund will then be used to purchase additional hives for neighbouring families taking part in the project.
Expected benefits: It is anticipated that the number of active hives will double within the first 18 months. The honey will then be sold in local shops where it will be sold for €2 per kg, so the families will earn €1 for each kilo of honey they produce.
Local partner(s): Avega Est, Msaada, Survivors Fund (SURF), Heifer Rwanda
Other relevant data: This project is also co-financed by Send a Cow, a British NGO
