Oxfam has worked in Rwanda since the 1960s. In the wake of the genocide, we joined the biggest aid operation ever carried out by international agencies. People poured into overcrowded refugee camps in neighbouring countries and we provided clean water, health advice, and basic sanitation to help them to survive until they could return home.

In an environment where there is already a desperate lack of resources, and with such a history of conflict and division, the lingering mistrust amongst neighbours and ethnic groups means that the potential for violence and destructive conflict is never far from the surface. This directly limits the scope for mutual self-help and community support.

It is therefore essential for any development programmes to take account of this and train people to manage conflict, and to encourage them to work better together.

Oxfam in Rwanda

The focus of Oxfam's work in Rwanda is to contribute towards alleviating poverty and promoting good governance in ways that support national reconcilliation.

Despite changes in the political, socio-economic, and governance context over the last few years, the consolidation of peace remains very important in Rwanda. As such, capacity building in conflict management and prevention issues continues to form a key element of our programme work.

Governance

The governance element of our programme focuses on conflict management training, encouraging active community participation in decision-making and development work, and strengthening civil society engagement. The aim is for citizens to participate actively in their development and manage conflicts in a manner that supports sustainable development.

Livelihoods

The livelihoods element of our programme focuses on both agriculture and non-agriculture options for food and income generation. The aim is increase overall production from agriculture, access to markets, power in markets, and income from non-agricultural sources.

Increased gender equity

Our gender work focuses on improving gender relations so that all people have access to, and control over, their resources and decision-making on political, personal, and family issues. Whilst gender issues are included in other components of our programme, we also carry out stand-alone work as appropriate to generate learning both for our own use, and for sharing with others. Special emphasis is given to building women's economic capacity.

HIV and AIDS

The issue of HIV and AIDS is included in all components of our programme. Our aim is to reduce both the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS in the communities among which we work.

Humanitarian preparedness

Working in collaboration with other Oxfam International affiliates, our joint contingency planning work aims to strengthen our capacity to monitor the onset of a humanitarian crisis, and to respond in a co-ordinated way, quickly, effectively, and appropriately. We contine to actively engage with the Disaster Management Task Force, a multi-sectoral and inter-agency unit for monitoring the humanitarian situation in Rwanda.

 

Last updated: May 08