Mr. Yoo Jeehyun, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Rwanda
Mr. Yoo Jeehyun, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Rwanda office, expressed his satisfaction with the accomplishments of the UPG – KORA-WIGIRE Project during the closing ceremony held in Rwamagana district, Eastern Province.
The event was held on December 19 in a project sponsored by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and implemented by Better World Rwanda in Rwamagana and World Vision in Rutsiro, and garnered commendation for its positive impact.
The ceremony, attended by local government represented by the Corporate manager of Rwamagana district, representatives from Better World , Mr. Kim Jeong Ryeol (Country Director), and 287 project beneficiaries from the Rwamagana Sector, celebrated the successful outcomes of UPG Project.
UPG Project so-called as KORA WIGIRE aimed to empower women in Rwamagana and Rutsiro by providing training in crop production, establishing markets selling for their agriculture products, and imparting savings skills through Village Saving Loan Association (VSLA) Model. The overarching goal was to uplift women-headed households from extreme poverty through the UPG Model.
UPG model is well known as a holistic solution to identify the most destitute households and place them on an upward trajectory out of poverty. It comprises of a sequenced set of time-bound interventions that support the immediate needs of the ultra-poor with long-term investment in their capacity to sustain future gains.
It has 4 pillars : Social protection, Livelihoods promotion, Financial inclusion, Social empowerment. Based on these 4 pillars BetterWorld Rwanda has carried out various activities to help 300 female headed households living in Ultra poverty for about three years from 2021 to 2023.
Kimenyi Anthony
During the closing ceremony, the project coordinator Mr. Kimenyi Anthony outlined the project’s background and achievements in the Rwamagana District over its three-year implementation duration, from March 2021 to December 2023.
Mr Anthony said that at the project’s inception, arround 57% of beneficiaries possessed productive assets; this figure has now risen to 98%, with many recipients acquiring additional assets, thanks to the provision of small animals. The final evaluation revealed that 92% of beneficiaries were self-sufficient in healthcare contribution, a notable improvement from the initial 43%.
Furthermore, all beneficiaries successfully joined savings and loan groups, amassing over Rwf 27 million over the three-year period. The project also facilitated the construction of two modern markets in the Rwamagana Sector, specifically in the Mwulire and Bushenyi sectors, providing strategic sales points for the produced goods.
Hagenimana Jean Damascene
Mr. Hagenimana Jean Damascene, Corporate Manager of Rwamagama Sector, represented the Rwamagana Sector during the ceremony. He expressed appreciation for Better World Rwanda as an implementer and KOICA for sponsoring the project, acknowledging the significant progress witnessed in the daily lives of the 287 women beneficiaries. He extended gratitude to KOICA for its continued support to the Government of Rwanda across various sectors.
Since 1991, KOICA has been implementing its grant aid programs in Rwanda, disbursing about USD 150 million through various projects and capacity-building programs. KOICA officially opened its Rwanda Office in 2011. KOICA currently has over ten ongoing projects in Rwanda in the education, agriculture and ICT sectors.
