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USAID/Rwanda 

Operational Plan 

FY 2006 

June 2, 2006 
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Please Note: 

The attached RESULTS INFORMATION is from the FY 2006 Operational Plan and was assembled 

and analyzed by the country or USAID operating unit identified on the cover page. 

The Operational Plan is a "pre-decisional" USAID document and does not reflect results stemming 

from formal USAID review(s) of this document. 

Related document information can be obtained from: 

USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse 

8403 Colesville Road, Suite 210 

Silver Spring, MD 20910 

Telephone: (301) 562-0641 

Fax: (301) 588-7787 

Email: docorder@dec.cdie.org 

Internet: http://www.dec.org 

Portions released on or after July 1, 2006 
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Program Performance Summary FY 2005: Overall Performance: USAID completed the second full year 

of performance under the 2004-2009 strategy and transitioned its program into full compliance with the 

Strategic Framework for Africa through its recently submitted Strategy Statement. Despite reductions in 

funding in economic growth and agriculture activities, USAID targeted resources well to realize important 

results across all sectors. All programs performed effectively during leadership transitions for all teams. 

In democracy and governance, USAID contributed significantly to an expansion of judicial independence. 

For the first time, judges have been deeply involved in preparing the budget for the judiciary itself. While 

this progress has caused some tension, the SO has helped to create an opportunity for Rwanda to move 

towards international standards of judicial independence. USAID supported a broad survey of “social 

cohesion” in Rwanda. It is the first of a series of five annual surveys done in conjunction with the National 

Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) and builds capacity in the NURC to conduct objective 

unbiased polls in the future. Approximately 10,000 people were polled. The responses provided USAID 

with baseline information for SO indicators on the percentage of citizens engaged with government in 

targeted local government districts (33%). From this information USAID can more accurately target 

participation improvements in the coming years. 66% expressed confidence in government processes 

which met this year’s target. 46% of citizens thought that the Gacaca (traditional justice) courts are 

rendering equitable justice. This information helps gauge progress on the ambitious national reconciliation 

program that focuses heavily on the Gacaca community-based participatory justice system to advance 

resolution of the potential 700,000 caseload that remains from the 1994 genocide. 

 

USAID also launched a flagship program in civil society, governance and reconciliation that seeks to bring 

Rwandan communities and grassroots organizations together with local government authorities to 

promote reconciliation and peace through socio-economic development activities and citizen involvement 

in national and local governance. Funds will be tapped by civil society organizations (CSOs) and district 

councilors in order to promote poverty alleviation and reconciliation, rural economic growth, and good 

governance and democratic practices. A total of 417 grants will be given to civil society actors and nearly 

310 of these will support community projects and substantial local capacity building. 

The health program strengthened the decentralized health system for family planning, reproductive and 

child health, malaria, HIV/AIDS and nutrition and improved access, quality and sustainability of basic 

health services. In response to worsening maternal and child health indicators, USAID worked 

successfully with the Government of Rwanda (GOR) to establish a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Unit 

within the Ministry of Health. This was a considerable accomplishment given the GOR’s extensive 

cutbacks as part of a structural readjustment program that decreased the public sector work force 

significantly. The National Immunization Program (NIP) has been a model for the Africa Region. With 

assistance from USAID, the NIP met the DPT3 vaccination target of 75.0% in Kigali Ville and improved 

national coverage from 86.0% to 87.0%. USAID has overseen an increase in Contraceptive Prevalence 

Rates (CPR) in Kigali (the capital city) from 13.5 % in FY2004 to 18.8 % in FY2005 and national CPR 

from 4.3 % to 10.3 %. USAID assisted WHO/Afro and the African Development Bank (ABD) in the design 

of a regional malaria epidemic prevention and control initiative focusing on eight countries of East Africa 

and the Great Lakes Region including Rwanda. 

USAID launched the five-year decentralization and health program in FY 2005 to create an operational 

environment where an integrated package of maternal and child health services could flourish. In order to 

stem the shortage of trained public health professionals in country, USAID scaled up assistance to 

Rwanda’s School of Public Health through an innovative capacity building program for district health 

officers. Over the past year, Tulane University has trained, in Rwanda, an equivalent of 146 professionals 

including 90 public health certificate students, 40 Masters of Public Health students and awarded 16 

PhD’s in Public Health. These professionals contribute to health improvements across the health 

program. 

In expanding economic opportunities in rural areas, USAID continued to register significant results in the 

agribusiness, agricultural productivity, small and medium enterprise and rural finance sectors in FY 2005. 

Specialty coffee production rose to 1,100 MT from 800 MT in FY 2004. This increase in specialty coffee 

offset the overall results of a poor coffee growing season due to inadequate rainfall in early FY 2005. 
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Coffee washing stations (CWSs) assisted by USAID produced 730 MT (exceeding the target of 668 MT) 

and cooperatives have been able to sell most of their production to premium or specialty markets. Proving 

the success of USAID’s previous interventions, the number of international buyers of Rwandan coffee 

increased by 56%, (from 16 to 25), in the face low production. If the sector can increase by half both the 

production of specialty coffee and the number of buyers in a widely acknowledged dreadful year, the 

future is bright for Rwandan coffee. USAID also succeeded in expanding financial services. The targeted 

numbers of clients accessing financial services among USAID-assisted credit unions and micro-finance 

institutions has been exceeded. In Rwanda’s leading Credit Union, the total number of members 

increased from 389,171 to 421,965 exceeding the life of project target by 5.5%. The Development Credit 

Authority program with Banque de Kigali has already used 84% of its authorized level to increase much 

needed finance for the agriculture sector. USAID partners have expanded competitive client-oriented 

microfinance services beyond the targeted number by almost 20%. 

Factors Affecting Program Performance: The GOR attained several economic milestones in 2005. Full 

HIPC completion status with a sound budget to limit new loans will require increased grant funding from 

donors. Rwanda assumed the chair of Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) in 2005, 

hosted the COMESA Heads of State Summit solidifying its commitment to free trade and regional 

development and continued to promote privatization, foreign investment and trade exports. Rwanda was 

cited by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as having one of the ten most improved investment 

climates in the world. Finally, Rwanda was one of the first countries to participate in the New Partnership 

for Africa’s Development’s (NEPAD) peer review process in which other experts from African countries 

assess Rwanda’s progress on governance. The results were largely positive and are expected to be 

officially released in early 2006. 

The GOR is in the midst of a national re-districting of local government to be completed in 2006 with the 

election of new local officials to replace appointed ones. While this change is positive, because it reduces 

administrative layers and increases local decision-making, it may be disruptive in the short term as the 

GOR and its partners work to maintain effective relationships at the local level. Many USAID programs in 

health and governance work with local government groups and community-based organizations and will 

need to identify new local government partners as re-districting progresses. Performance measurement 

will need to be re-calibrated to reflect the new district designations and some previous data will not be 

comparable between FY 2005 and FY 2006. Teams will accordingly complete the re-alignment of the 

Performance Management Plans in FY 2006 to reflect these new units of measurement and offer new 

baseline measures where needed. 

Global Development Alliances: World Links and its partners completed their three-year alliance with 

USAID in FY 2005. Over the life of the project, $1 million of USAID resources leveraged $4 million in 

partner resources. By the end of FY 2005, the alliance had provided a total of 936 primary schools (50% 

of total) with at least one computer and/or laptop, trained 1,856 primary school teachers in basic 

computer literacy, and distributed 1,034 Alphasmart machines. The two-year Rwanda Knits GDA 

leveraged $60,000 in cash and in-kind support from a new local NGO partner, Rwandans and Americans 

in Partnership (RAP) through a Mission grant signed in FY 2005. Approximately 1,280 women will be 

trained to knit using mainly mohair yarn for export to the U.S. and acrylic yarn for the local market. 602 

knitting machines have been ordered. RAP also identified potential U.S. buyers through a partnership 

with a US-based women’s group BPeace (Business Council for Peace) and three export projects are in 

the pipeline for shawls, scarves, felted purses and special Rwandan flag colored shawls for the knitters’ 

competition in New York, USA. The goal is to institutionalize the program for sustainability, which will 

positively affect much larger industries, such as textiles, agriculture (producing wool and angora), 

construction (building of regional knitting centers and construction of equipment), shipping and 

transportation, and vocational education. 

 

Two new USAID alliances in FY 2005 include the World Relief Essential Oil alliance and the Grameen 

Foundation Village Phone alliance. The Essential Oil Alliance will strengthen and expand the essential oil 

natural products sector in Rwanda, increase exports of essential oils and increase incomes to rural 

farmers through this value-added product. The one-year Grameen Foundation Village Phone alliance will 

include the Grameen Foundation, MTN (South African cell phone company) and organizations from the 
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microfinance sector in Rwanda. The activity will support rural financial services delivery and business 

development, and foster the promotion of value-added, cross-cutting communication technologies. MTN 

Rwanda will reduce the need to develop expensive channel-to-market infrastructure to address underserved markets in the more distant rural areas. 

Non-traditional USAID partners: USAID continues to expand work with non-traditional partners such as 

new and existing local organizations, alliances, and faith-based organizations. In FY 2005, USAID began 

two new flagship activities including the Civil Society, Governance and Reconciliation (CSGR) activity and 

the Emergency Plan funded Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Program (CHAMP). The CSGR 

implementing partner will work through SERUKA, a local women’s NGO, and together with local 

government authorities to award 417 grants worth over $2.5 million with Rwandan communities and 

grassroots organizations. The grants will not only build SERUKA’s capacity but will also develop local civil 

society groups that promote reconciliation and peace through socio-economic development activities and 

promote citizen involvement in national and local governance. Since 2001, the Mission has provided 

support to SERUKA, a local organization which aims to enhance women’s awareness about special 

genocide courts (Gacaca). Activities have increased the number of women elected as Gacaca judges 

and strengthened SERUKA’s institutional capacity. In FY 2005, USAID support to the Women’s 

Investment Fund (WIF) trained 740 poor rural women solidarity groups in 19 districts promoting peace, 

unity and reconciliation, gender equity and empowerment, and HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation. 

USAID provided substantial technical assistance support to a new local NGO partner, Rwandans and 

Americans in Partnership (RAP), to build their financial and budgeting system. 

USAID works closely with numerous faith-based organizations (FBOs) including Adventist Development 

Relief Agency (ADRA), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), World Vision (WV), and World Relief (WR) among 

others. The ADRA Outdoor Experiential Therapy Project provides youth with adventure therapy for 

trauma healing and a forum through camp togetherness activities for conflict reduction skills acquisition. 

The Health and Emergency Plan programs provided support to 59 local Christian-based organizations 

through our implementing partners including Caritas, Pamasor, and the Catholic Archdiocese. The WR 

Microfinance Project aims to scale-up micro-finance activities among women’s solidarity groups and 

village banking structures. WR works with a number of partners including Vision Finance (an affiliate of 

WV), and URWEGO Community Banking Association, both of which are faith-based. WR Mobilizing LIFE 

HIV/AIDS Awareness Program supports church based HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs in ten 

provinces, educates teachers and youth on the dangers of AIDS and encourages them to have a positive 

influence on their peers. Two of USAID's three P.L. 480 Title II programs are with faith based 

organizations, CRS and WV. They contribute to improved employment, agricultural technologies, agribusiness development, incomes and food security, and infrastructure. These partners will continue to 

further USAID’s programs. 

HIV/AIDS: Rwanda is a focus country under the President’s Emergency Plan and achieved impressive 

results in FY2005. Anti-retroviral treatment sites provided treatment to 15,975 patients, as compared to 

fewer than 100 in the entire country in 2003. USAID provided care and support for more than 59,000 

people, and 132,922 pregnant women received services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of 

HIV/AIDS. 26,682 orphans and vulnerable children are receiving care and support. 310,577 people 

received voluntary counseling and testing. Ongoing capacity building of critical institutions and systems 

will assure steady progress and facilitate the continuation of essential HIV services beyond 2008. 

Rwanda’s capacity to respond to the HIV/AIDS challenge has been significantly boosted by recent 

funding from the Emergency Plan, Global Fund rounds 1, 3, 4 and 5, and the World Bank. 

Gender: The GOR encourages active participation of women in elected and other governmental positions. 

Rwanda is the country with the highest representation of women in legislature (49%) due in large part to 

the GOR’s very progressive policies and commitment to gender equality. The democracy and governance 

program supports local CSOs that are working to identify and encourage women to actively participate in 

elected and appointed positions at the local and national levels. Funding for district level activities under 

the decentralization program is available only when local leaders demonstrate that women are 

proportionately represented. 

 
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The Health program works on behavior change communication (BCC) interventions targeted at men to 

empower them to break the cultural norm of male domination over women. Through the Emergency Plan 

program, USAID is implementing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) programs aimed at 

documenting this problem and assisting women who are victims with counseling, health care and other 

appropriate support. To increase the participation of women in designing and implementing new health 

activities, the Health SO will identify gender concerns in national health policies and take gender into 

account in resource allocation and management activities. 

 

The Rural Economic Growth program targets interventions where women can benefit such as coffee 

cooperatives where women comprise the majority of the membership and management structure, and 

microfinance activities with women’s solidarity groups. The program is also developing labor saving 

agricultural technologies that will alleviate the burden for female producers, providing direct food 

distribution to widow-headed households, seeking to support widow-headed handicraft cooperatives, and 

engaging in policy dialogue and advocacy on issues such as land reform that directly impact on women. 

Youth: USAID includes youth programs in its efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission, and in its work to 

assist orphans and vulnerable children (25,000 in 2005). A new radio education effort in the Lake Kivu 

region is getting underway to provide basic education instruction to youth and has the potential of adding 

other topics such as HIV/AIDS prevention methods and using reconciliation messages. A large number 

of rural young people obtain gainful employment under the coffee cooperatives activities. USAID 

conducted “outdoor adventure therapy” activities for youth who show signs of trauma or who are living on 

the street. USAID will continue to seek support from regional programs and earmarks, such as those in 

education, supporting victims of torture and conflict management to support and expand youth-focused 

programs. Through the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), the Girls Scholarship program 

funded by the Africa Education Initiative supported 1,500 students from poor communities in 48 schools, 

building the capacity of FAWE and providing the scholarship recipients with mentoring and life strategies. 

First Lady Laura Bush praised the program during her visit to Rwanda in 2005. 

Urbanization: USAID/Rwanda brings resources to the urban sector through its governance and health 

programs. Investments in local organizations provide sanitation and water to poor sections of Kigali as 

part of a slum upgrading effort supported by international and donor groups including USAID. Nearly one 

million Rwandans are served by the urban and peri-urban health facilities of Kigali supported by USAID. 

Although access to and use of health facilities and services is higher in these areas, financial access 

remains a significant barrier to the city’s poorest. To overcome these obstacles, USAID has assisted the 

GOR to design and promote community-based health insurance programs, reducing the overall costs to 

individuals through a cross-subsidy fee structure. USAID’s health program is also supporting the City of 

Kigali to develop an urban strategy for community health workers. USAID is a partner in the City Alliance 

Initiative with Kigali, a project that will improve municipal waste water evacuation. 

Governance: USAID addresses governance directly under its democracy & governance, and health & 

HIV/AIDS programs through an innovative combined program that promotes decentralization of resources 

at the district level and ensures that local governments have the capacity to address planning and service 

delivery focused on health. The economic growth program contributes to governance through its support 

to the establishment and capacity building of farmers cooperatives in the specialty coffee sector. 

Program Integration: In addition to some of the cross-cutting themes mentioned above, USAID has 

developed a significant amount of integration across its portfolio. USAID is actively linking Emergency 

plan programs to other programs to build synergies and expand impact. An HIV/AIDS program which will 

increase the capacity of local service delivery CSOs will also work with and contribute to our civil society 

development objectives. By linking Emergency plan funding for microfinance to people with HIV/AIDS to 

our economic growth microfinance program we are creating synergies and expanding impact. USAID is 

facilitating dialogue between our P.L. 480 partners and Emergency Plan partners to provide food for 

needy HIV/AIDS patients. This integration contributes significantly to increases in numbers of people 

served and it impact of the program. USAID is also integrating basic education activities within the 

democracy and governance arena through a radio based basic education program that will provide 

literacy and numeracy using conflict reduction and reconciliation messages. 
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For additional information see <http://www.usaid-rwanda.rw/>, the USAID/Rwanda website. 
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FY 2006 Program 

SO: 696-005 Improved governance through increased citizen participation 

Mitigate Conflict and Support Peace 

Mitigate Conflict and Support Peace ($812,000 DA). Rwanda’s long process of reconciliation continues to 

be a top national priority. USAID is supporting the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission to build 

its capacity for impartial documentation and research on the reconciliation process. A radio-based 

program for youth that promotes basic education and literacy using conflict reduction and reconciliation 

messages is being formulated. Principal contractors and grantees: International Rescue Committee (IRC) 

(prime); others to be determined. 

Strengthen Civil Society 

Strengthen Civil Society ($1,050,000 DA). Civil society is critical to increasing public discourse, effective 

service delivery and poverty reduction in Rwanda. USAID is providing technical assistance and training 

to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in local-level policy and decision-making processes, 

advocacy skills, grants management, information and communications technology, and the promotion of 

diversity, gender equality and reconciliation. The program focuses on national and local level civil society 

organizations working to promote socio-economic activities that produce concrete results at the 

community level, with a special focus on the role of gender in the reconciliation process. The program 

also supports interaction between national and local elected representatives and communities. Principal 

contractors and grantees: IRC (prime) with Seruka (Coming Forward to Give Our Best, a Rwandan NGO) 

(sub). 

Support Democratic Local Government & Decentralization 

Support Democratic Local Government and Decentralization ($750,000 DA). Rwanda has embarked on 

an ambitious decentralization program to increase autonomy and service delivery at local levels 

throughout the country. USAID continues to support local governments to more effectively plan, budget 

and deliver social services, including health. Assistance to the Ministry of Local Government is helping 

define national policy development and implementation. Support for local governments is improving the 

management of community projects and the delivery of services. USAID supports anti-corruption activities 

that increase accountability and local level oversight that helps to prevent the mismanagement of 

increased resources that flow to local governments. Principal contractors and grantees: IntraHealth 

(prime), Research Triangle Institute, Rwandan Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA), 

ProFemmes (Rwandan Women’s NGO), Tulane University, and EngenderHealth (all subs). 

FY 2007 Program 

SO: 696-005 Improved governance through increased citizen participation 

Mitigate Conflict and Support Peace 

Mitigate Conflict and Support Peace: ($148,000 DA). USAID will continue to support the National Unity 

and Reconciliation Commission to build its capacity for impartial documentation and research on the 

reconciliation process. A radio-based education program for youth will continue to provide basic 

education and literacy using conflict reductions and reconciliation messages. Principal contractors and 

grantees: Same as FY 2006. 

Strengthen Civil Society 

Strengthen Civil Society ($900,000 DA). USAID will continue to provide technical assistance and training 

to local NGOs in local-level policy and decision-making processes, advocacy skills, grants management, 
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information and communications technology, including the promotion of diversity, gender equality and 

reconciliation. The program will focus on national and local level civil society organizations working to 

promote socio-economic activities and the role of gender in the reconciliation process. The program will 

also support interaction between national and local elected representatives and communities. Principal 

contractors and grantees: Same as FY 2006. 

Support Democratic Local Government & Decentralization 

Support Democratic Local Government and Decentralization ($600,000 DA). USAID will continue to 

support local governments to more effectively plan, budget and deliver social services, particularly health. 

Assistance to the Ministry of Local Government will continue to work on national policy development and 

implementation. Support for local governments on the management of community projects and the 

delivery of services continues. Anti-corruption activities continue to increase accountability and local level 

oversight to prevent the mismanagement of local government resources. Principal contractors and 

grantees: Same as FY 2006. 

FY 2006 Program 

SO: 696-006 Increased use of community health services including HIV/AIDS 

Improve Child Survival, Health & Nutrition 

Improve Child Survival, Health and Nutrition ($2,000,000 CSH). USAID improves the quality of and 

access to services and financing for newborn and child health, nutrition, and micronutrient 

supplementation. New programs combat the intermittent presumptive treatment of malaria. Nutrition 

programs provide high micronutrient crops for demonstration and dissemination. The Ministry of Health 

receives assistance in developing and implementing new child health guidelines. USAID continues to 

provide training and technical assistance at the national and local levels to support the decentralization of 

the health sector; provide methods for financing and increase access to community-based health 

insurance. The number of Rwandan health care professionals trained to the Masters of Public Health 

level in-country in collaboration with a U.S. university will increase. Principal contractors and grantees: 

IntraHealth International (prime), Tulane University, EngenderHealth (subs); Partnership for Child Health 

Care (prime); and ORC Macro (prime). 

Improve Maternal Health & Nutrition 

Improve Maternal Health and Nutrition ($1,500,000 CSH). USAID is increasing access to and the quality 

of reproductive health interventions and assist the Government of Rwanda (GOR) to expand the range of 

services available, both in health care units and in communities. A new fistula activity is being launched to 

save more women and girls from this significant cause of morbidity. Nutrition programs target pregnant 

women. Principal contractors and grantees: IntraHealth International, EngenderHealth (primes), and 

Tulane University (sub). 

Prevent & Control Infectious Diseases Of Major Importance 

Prevent and Control Infectious Diseases Of Major Importance ($1,663,000 CSH). USAID is working with 

the GOR to promote primary prevention and treatment for malaria through the decentralized health 

service system, training of health care providers, and improvement of national treatment protocols. USAID 

trains health care professionals in epidemiology and biostatistics to increase capacity in national disease 

surveillance. Principal contractors and grantees: IntraHealth International (prime), Engender Health 

(sub), and Tulane University (prime). 

Reduce Transmission & Impact Of HIV/AIDS 
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Reduce Transmission and Impact of HIV/AIDS: See the State Department Congressional Budget 

Justification, Global HIV/AIDS Initiative section, for a discussion of this program. 

Support Family Planning 

Support Family Planning ($2,000,000 CSH). Rwanda is one of the most densely populated country in 

Africa. USAID helps create voluntary demand for family planning services, assures a consistent supply of 

contraceptives, and trains health care workers in family planning service delivery to extend coverage 

nationally. Policy assistance to the Ministry of Health helps implement new family planning policies and 

build staff capacity. Principal contractors and grantees: John Snow International (prime); Georgetown 

University (prime), Johns Hopkins Program in Reproductive Health (JHPIEGO), CARE, Catholic Relief 

Services (subs), IntraHealth International (prime); and Futures Group (prime). 

FY 2007 Program 

SO: 696-006 Increased use of community health services including HIV/AIDS 

Improve Child Survival, Health & Nutrition 

Improve Child Survival, Health and Nutrition: ($2,200,000 CSH). USAID will continue to improve the 

quality of and access to services and financing for newborn and child health, nutrition, and micronutrient 

supplementation. Programs in intermittent presumptive treatment of malaria will continue. Nutrition 

programs will continue providing high micronutrient crops for demonstration and dissemination. USAID 

will continue to provide training and technical assistance at the national and local levels to support the 

decentralization of the health sector, provide methods for financing and increase access to communitybased health insurance. USAID will continue to increase the number of Rwandan health care 

professionals trained to the Masters of Public Health level through an in-country degree-granting program 

in collaboration with a U.S. University. Principal contractors and grantees: Same as FY 2006. 

Improve Maternal Health & Nutrition 

Improve Maternal Health and Nutrition: ($2,129,000 CSH). USAID will continue to increase access to and 

the quality of reproductive health interventions and assist the GOR to expand the range of services 

available, both in health care units and in communities. The fistula activity will continue to save women 

and girls from this significant cause of morbidity. Nutrition programs will target pregnant women. Principal 

contractors and grantees: Same as FY 2006. 

Prevent & Control Infectious Diseases Of Major Importance 

Prevent and Control Infectious Diseases of Major Importance ($1,200,000 CSH). USAID will continue to 

work with the GOR to promote primary prevention and treatment for malaria through a decentralized 

system, training health care providers, and improving national treatment protocols. USAID will continue 

training health care professionals in epidemiology and biostatistics to increase capacity in national 

disease surveillance. Principal contractors and grantees: Same as FY 2006. 

Reduce Transmission & Impact Of HIV/AIDS 

Reduce Transmission and Impact of HIV/AIDS: See the State Department Congressional Budget 

Justification, Global HIV/AIDS Initiative section, for a discussion of this program. 

Support Family Planning 
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Support Family Planning ($2,200,000 CSH). USAID will continue creating voluntary demand for family 

planning services, assuring a consistent supply of contraceptives, and training health care workers in 

family planning service delivery to extend coverage nationally. Policy assistance to the Ministry of Health 

will continue help to implement new family planning policies and build staff capacity. Principal contractors 

and grantees: Same as FY 2006. 

All family planning assistance agreements will incorporate clauses that implement the President’s 

directive restoring the Mexico City Policy. 

FY 2006 Program 

SO: 696-007 Expanded economic opportunities in rural areas 

Improve Private Sector Competitiveness 

Improve Private Sector Competitiveness ($1,540,000 DA). Rwanda seeks to provide increased economic 

opportunities in rural areas as part of its long term strategy for economic growth and export promotion. 

USAID is expanding and diversifying export-oriented agribusinesses targeting key commodities such as 

specialty coffee, chili peppers, and essential oils. USAID is identifying other rural income generating 

opportunities in proximity to Nyungwe National Park that contribute to both rural economic transformation 

and biodiversity conservation. Programs build upon regional efforts which promote international trade 

under the African Global Competitiveness Initiative, and improved regional transportation. P.L. 480 

resources are being used to promote food security and income through enterprises that process wheat, 

rice, and dairy for local sale and consumption. Principal contractors and grantees: World Relief (prime); 

others to be determined. 

Increase Agricultural Sector Productivity 

Increase Agricultural Sector Productivity ($700,000 DA). USAID’s assistance to the national agricultural 

research institute ends in FY 2006, and new activities will work on increasing production for crops where 

market demand is established and has the potential to grow. These include coffee, chili peppers and 

essential oils. In addition, soil conservation measures, such as terracing of steep hills, funded by P.L. 480 

combat the number one constraint to Rwandan agriculture - poor soil fertility. The regional famine early 

warning system is providing food security and rainfall monitoring information that helps local producers 

and authorities accurately predict crop yields and potential rainfall shortages. Principal contractors and 

grantees: To be determined. 

Strengthen The Financial Services Sector & Increase Access to Capital 

Strengthen the Financial Services Sector and Increase Access to Capital ($1,000,000 DA). To give 

Rwandan enterprises, cooperatives and groups greater access to credit so that they can expand, 

USAID is scaling up “best practices” in rural finance. This will help to increase the client base, particularly 

in the underserved agriculture sector, and among underserved borrowers, notably women. USAID is 

building the capacity of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to increase savings mobilization and help make 

credit available to enterprises, women’s solidarity groups and village banking structures. Using a 

combination of financial services and information technologies, USAID is leveraging private sector 

resources to expand village phone availability in rural areas to create employment and increase incomes. 

USAID is planning to build on the first successful effort to mobilize lending for the agriculture sector 

through a Development Credit Authority (DCA) loan guarantee. A new $450,000 DCA is being developed 

to expand the program which is unleashing much needed private capital in the agricultural sector. 

Principal contactors and grantees: World Relief, Women’s Investment Fund, and Grameen Foundation 

(primes). 

FY 2007 Program 
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SO: 696-007 Expanded economic opportunities in rural areas 

Improve Private Sector Competitiveness 

Improve Private Sector Competitiveness ($1,000,000 DA). Agribusiness programs will be developed to 

replace those that ended in FY 2006. The principal agricultural sub-sector will remain specialty coffee, 

although other opportunities in chili peppers, essential oils, and handicrafts may also be pursued. The 

focus of this new phase in USAID's support to Rwandan agribusiness will be on sustainability by building 

the capacity of local firms to compete in international markets without USAID assistance. USAID will 

continue work on a biodiversity activity around Nyungwe National Park that contributes to both economic 

growth as well as biological conservation by focusing on the tea, honey and tourism sectors. P.L. 480 

resources will continue to be used to promote food security through value-added processing of wheat, 

rice, and dairy products. Principal contractors and grantees: To be determined. 

Increase Agricultural Sector Productivity 

Increase Agricultural Sector Productivity ($600,000 DA). USAID will continue to increase production for 

crops where market demand is established and growing. These include specialty coffee, chili peppers 

and essential oils. P.L. 480 resources will fund dissemination of nutritionally enhanced varieties for 

people living with HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable populations to assist the transition away from direct food 

distribution for those healthy enough to farm. Through the regional famine early warning system, USAID 

will continue to monitor the food security situation and play an active role in the Government of Rwanda’s 

Disaster Management Unit. Principal contractors and grantees: To be determined. 

Strengthen The Financial Services Sector & Increase Access to Capital 

Strengthen the Financial Services Sector and Increase Access to Capital ($695,000 DA). USAID will 

design a new activity for microfinance targeting loans to the rural poor. USAID will continue to extend 

credit to targeted agribusinesses through a new loan guarantee facility using the DCA program. Micro 

credit activities will increase access to finance for people living with HIV/AIDS through scaled up activities 

benefiting from a partnership with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Principal contractors 

and grantees: World Relief (prime); others to be determined. 
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Results Framework 

696-005 Improved governance through increased citizen participation 

Program Title: Democracy and Good Governance 

 5.1: Reinforced capacity for implementation of decentralized policy in target districts 

 5.2: Increased government responsiveness to citizen groups at the national level 

 5.3: Enhanced opportunities for reconciliation 

696-006 Increased use of community health services including HIV/AIDS 

Program Title: Health and HIV/AIDS 

 6.1: Reinforced capacity for implementation of decentralization policy in target districts 

 6.2: Increased access to selected essential health commodities and community health services 

 6.3: Improved quality of community health services 

 6.4: Improved community level response to health issues (HIV/AIDS/Family planning/Child 

Survival/Malaria) 

696-007 Expanded economic opportunities in rural areas 

Program Title: Rural Economic Growth 

 7.1: Expanded adoption of improved agricultural and business practices 

 7.2: Rural finance more accessible 

 7.3: Rural infrastructure improved