Irrigation

technologies Transform Farmers Lives in Bugesera

ThestrongpartnershipbetweenHinga WezeandtheGovernmentofRwanda has transformed farmers’ lives through irrigationwhichhasincreasedfarmers yields.

Farmers in Bugesera district have always lacked access to sufficient water for improved agriculture for sustained and profitable production. The district is well-known for its constant droughts which negatively affect farmers’ agricultural practices. The USAID Feed the Future Rwanda Hinga Weze Activity (Hinga Weze) supported farmers in Bugesera to sustainably increase their production and yields through increasing access to water for crop production.

Irrigation is a major factor for land productivity and increased yields. Hinga Weze responded to the challenge of water access by establishing small-scale irrigation technology (SSIT) at a site in Mayange sector of Bugesera district.SincetheprovisionofSSITinthearea,thefarmers’ lives have been transformed.

In July 2020, in collaboration with the district, Hinga Weze established 10 Ha of new SSIT at Mayange sector, Kibenga cell at Rwarusaku village with 68 beneficiaries (44 males and 24 females). The Hinga Weze-established SSIT site at Mayange is allowing farmers to adapt to the impact of climate change by increasing their access to irrigation.

Not only did Hinga Weze support farmers with SSIT irrigation to increase agriculture productivity, but also linked the farmers with market actors such as financial institutions and agro-input suppliers to access credit. Hinga Weze also trained communities on nutrition and hygiene to improve health outcomes and reduce malnutrition and stunting. Following the intervention, farmers at the site grouped themselves into a cooperative called “KOABAM” or Koperative abakoranamurava ba Mayange. The registered cooperative will allow its members to sustain the SSIT interventions at the site once Hinga Weze ends.

“As Bugesera leadership, we appreciate the partnership and good work that Hinga Weze has been doing to improve farming in our area and to improve nutrition especially for women who have children by bringing them into nutrition groups commonly called care groups. We are witnessing an improvement in the way households consume high nutrient foods, adopt different food safety practices and promote a culture of savings".

-Vice Mayor of Bugesera District

Farmers at the site have now acquired significant skills and capacity on good agriculture practices (crop genetics, soil related fertility improvements, pest and disease management, mulching, and weeding among others), all of which has helped to contribute to their 125% increase in agriculture productivity over the past year. This increase allows the farmers to “growmore,sellmore,andeatbetter” in accordance with the Hinga Weze motto.