Our work in Rwanda
Tearfund has been working in Rwanda since 1968. We currently work in 12 districts across the Southern and Eastern provinces and in Kigali, through a network of local churches.
Our vision is to see local churches become centres of transformation that address the social, economic, and spiritual needs of the most vulnerable in their communities. To date, we have equipped 2,000 local churches and aim to reach 4,500 local churches by 2027.
By mobilising local churches and delivering high quality programmes with local partners, we’re addressing:
- economic empowerment
- sustainable and productive agriculture
- micro-enterprise development
- climate justice
- gender equality and social inclusion
- disaster preparedness and response
Economic empowerment
We train communities to form self-help groups for people to save and lend money to each other. Through this, people increase their finances, develop a support network, and can start small businesses. We train groups in entrepreneurship and connect them with financial service providers to grow their businesses. To date, more than 125,000 individuals are members of a self-help group and are pursuing income-generating activities.
Sustainable livelihoods
Agriculture is a significant opportunity for people in Rwanda to develop their livelihood. With improved knowledge and skills, agriculture can transform people’s lives, providing increased income and better nutrition for families.
Tearfund trains farmers in sustainable farming practices to increase crop yields, access domestic and international markets, and take pride in agriculture as a profitable, sustainable business.
Environmental restoration
Rwanda is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Tearfund equips individuals, churches and communities with skills and techniques to adapt to a changing climate and improve their environmental sustainability. This includes practices such as agroforestry, soil erosion control, water conservation, solar-powered irrigation and improved waste management.
We equip local churches to take action, empower communities in locally-led environmental restoration efforts, and support the most vulnerable to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.
Social inclusion
Our work prioritises women and the inclusion of vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly. Our approach addresses people’s social, economical and spiritual needs. Through increased skills, knowledge and access to technology, women and other vulnerable groups can develop themselves economically, grow in confidence and challenge gender stereotypes and norms.
Sexual and gender-based violence affects one in three girls and women in Rwanda. We are using our Transforming Masculinities programme to challenge harmful social norms and promote gender equality within families and communities.
Disaster response
We help communities prepare for disasters. We do this by establishing dedicated savings funds for disasters, training local leaders and church leaders in disaster management and working with communities to develop disaster response plans.
When crises happen, we respond quickly to address the needs and provide essential items including food, hygiene kits and water filters.