WFP-assisted projects and operations

(a) Development projects and activities

Rwanda development activities under the Country Programme (CP) cover the years 2003 – 2006 with two major activities: (i) support to basic education and (ii) support for improved self-reliance for HIV/AIDS affected households. Budget revision for a one-year extension-in-time of the CP was proposed for the next EB to bridge the CP with year 2008 to align with the rest of UN and the Rwandan Government with EDPRSP. It will require an additional commitment of food in the amount of 9,526 MT with a total cost to WFP of US$ 8 million is recommended for approval by the Executive Board.

Rwanda CP 10156.0 Activity 1: “Support for Basic Education”

Duration: 4 years (January 2003 – December 2006)

Total project commitment: 29,762 MT

This activity is an extension of the pilot that began in September 2001.
The overall objective is to move towards the universal primary education by 2010 as per the Government policy.
The specific objectives are:

• Increase school enrolment and attendance
• Improve attention spans and learning capacities by relieving short-term hunger
• Reduce dropout rates, particularly among girls in primary grades 4 to 6

Starting from August 2005, 100 more schools are added to 200 previously assisted. The program plans to cover 270,000 pupils in 300 primary schools in food insecure areas. Each child receives morning porridge and mid-day meal at school. School attendance increased to 94% from 73%; and absenteeism reduced to 10% from 24% and dropout to 5% from 17%. The increase in enrolment in WFP-assisted schools, among other partners, is partly attributed to the school feeding activity.

The activity will empower parents by helping them to build community institutions such as parent-teacher associations and education committees, generate incomes by facilitating women to have more time to work in their land and send their children to primary school so that they can achieve the primary level education.

Pupils will continue to benefit from the morning porridge and hot midday meal, and about 48,500 girls will receive an incentive in the form of a take-home ration of vegetable oil.

Rwanda CP 10156.0.Act2 - “Support for Improved Self-reliance for HIV/AIDS Affected Households”

Duration: 4 years (January 2003 – December 2006) and extended till 31 December 2007
Total project commitment: 12,120 MT

Objectives:

1. Increase capacity in HIV/AIDS affected households and communities to rehabilitate, create and maintain assets
2. Enhance coping capacities and preservation of livelihoods among PLWHA
3. Enhance involvement of PLWHA in productive and care giving activities in communities and households
4. Increased capacity among communities and families to provide care, nutrition and education for affected children.

The targeted beneficiaries are persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in food insecure areas. Priority is given to most vulnerable people such as female and child headed households. Food assistance promotes participation in income generation activities, vocational and life skills training and training on home based care. The project will cover 11,740 households (58,700 beneficiaries) with 70% of female participation. Female participation is 80 % in income generation activities.

In 2006, WFP collaborated with NGOs, the major ones being CARE, AVSI and Rwanda Red Cross in implementing self-reliance activities. 12,800 PLHIV households or 63,800 beneficiaries were assisted. The findings of the Demographic and Health Survey show that HIV/AIDS prevalence in Rwanda decreased to 3.1% in 2005 from 5.1 in 2000.

(b) Protracted relief and recovery operations

The Rwanda element of PRRO 10062.2: “Food Aid for Relief and Recovery in the Great Lakes Region”.

Duration: one-year (1 February 2006 - 31 January 2006) and extended till 30 June 2007.
Total project commitment: 42,703 mt

PRRO 10062.2 is a regional program that includes Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania. It: a) sustains refugees and returnees; b) improves the nutritional status of vulnerable people; c) increases agricultural production of poor farmers; d) restores livelihoods and assists the rural poor gain and maintain assets.

The Rwanda element of the regional PRRO 10062.2 (i) supported 104 government supplementary and therapeutic feeding centres assisting 25,300 malnourished children and women; (ii) provided food-for-work activities – environmental projects, reclaiming swamps, terracing hillsides, rehabilitating water facilities and catchment areas, and repairing rural roads - for 19,000 households or 95,000 beneficiaries (iii) provided over 47,100 refugees in 6 camps and transit centers and 6,000 returnees with a full ration (iv) provided institutional feeding for the chronically ill with little or no viable family support systems for a monthly average of 1,330 in-patients; (v) provided family ration for 2,300 women under PMTCT and 1,850 ARV treatment receivers; and (vi) provided for 4,000 students in solidarity camps to promote peace building and reconciliation.

Summary of Beneficiaries and Food Assistance

Refugees: 47,100
Returnees: 9,700, including Rwandans expelled from Tanzania
Recovery: 100,500, including 95,000 people assisted in food for work activities
Supplem/Therap feeding: 25,300
School Feeding: 289,400, including take-home-ration for 50,000 girls
Support for PLHIV: 84,600 beneficiaries, including 11,500 under PMTCT and 9,300 in ART

In 2006, 24,500 mt of food was distributed to the different categories. As shown below, most of it or 69% was used for refugee/returnee operation and school feeding activities.

Refugees and Returnees: 38.3%
School feeding: 30.7%
Support for PLHIV: 12.7%
Recovery: 10.5%
Supplem/Therapeutic feeding: 7.8%

Contact:
Girma.Makonnen@wfp.org
P.O Box 1150 Kigali – Rwanda
Tel: + 250 587611-14
Fax: + 250 587620
Mobile: + 250 0830 1701