Rice Cultivation at Rotunde

Rice Cultivation at Rotunde, Rwanda

TOF 99-03

There are many child-headed households in Rwanda as a result of the genocide. This poses a great challenge for the community. Though nobody wishes to see children working for a living there are no social service structures capable of meeting their needs. In order to create sources of income and provide food for these orphans, victims of war, economic development has to be initiated and promoted.


A section of the canal bringing water from the barrage (man made lake) to the rice field.	Workers waiting to receive food-for-work as payment for canal repairs.

The project’s aim is to mobilise young people to be engaged in agriculture and thus create income for them and the local YMCA branch. In so doing it promotes sustainable agricultural development and self-employment of young people and also supports local development initiatives. It raises young people’s awareness of the agricultural potential in Rwanda and encourages their development and integration in the active life of the community.

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Handwatering the rice seedlings ready for transplanting from the nursery bed to the field.

The main activities of the project are training in agriculture, crop cultivation and market gardening, management training, community development and socio-educational activities.