USAID/OTI Program Summary Rwanda: May 1999
Moving Past Genocide
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| A women's association in Rwanda constructs a house for an association member, providing their own labor and using OTI funds to buy roofs, doors, and windows. These kinds of activities often break traditional taboos, which demonstrate to Rwandan communities that women can play a new role in reconstructing their country. |
The world watched in shock in 1994 as over half a
million people at all levels of Rwandan society were killed in a
matter of weeks. Where safety and trust were scarce, OTI began
building basic security and community partnerships by supporting
human rights monitors, the International Criminal Tribunal and by
working with women's groups to rebuild community
infrastructure and improve local governance capacities.
Those initial efforts expanded to include technical
support to the Ministry of Justice for the drafting of a genocide
law, radio broadcast coverage of the proceedings of the Tribunal,
and assistance to the Ministry of the Interior to increase citizen
participation in decision-making processes.
The Women in Transition (WIT) project has become a
model for participatory programs focused on women. OTI has provided
1,600 grants to 1,450 women's associations in 85 communes and
11 of the 12 prefectures in Rwanda. WIT grants are used for shelter,
livestock, income generation, and other activities identified by
association members, improving the lives of over 163,000
beneficiaries.
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| Members of a women's association in Kigali-Rural demonstrate pot-making. OTI is funding income-generating activities like this to help women participate more fully in the Rwandan economy. |
With USAID's Rwanda mission, OTI also
assisted in the elections process for local citizens'
development councils and facilitated dissemination of information on
the War Crimes Tribunal. These efforts, though discreet, proved
effective in helping to increase Rwandans' confidence in peace
and democracy.
OTI's partners in Rwanda include the USAID
mission; the Department of State; USIA; the U.S. Department of
Justice; the United Nations; Internews; the International Rescue
Committee; Africare; the Rwandan ministries of Gender, Justice, and
the Interior; the Rwandan Development Organization; Radio Rwanda; a
number of local workers' associations; and hundreds of Rwandan
women's associations.
| Working with Local Partners: It is not always necessary to work with international NGOs/PVOs as implementing partners in a conflict-prone country. Local organizations and Rwanda's government, though new and inexperienced, can be viable partners for USAID. This approach allows local partners to have a stronger voice in setting project goals, establishes an open line of communication between USAID and local organizations, saves money, and builds capacity in local institutions. |
OTI Assistance in FY
1997: $3,798,000
OTI
Assistance in FY 1998: $1,223,000
Total OTI Assistance to Date (FY
95-98): $8,991,000
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