In March 2021, in Ngoma district at the Mutenderi site, the construction of irrigation infrastructure created green jobs employing 164 casual workers comprising 27 men, 49 women and 88 youth. Of these, 95 were project direct beneficiaries who benefited from the construction activities. Consequently, the money gained was used mainly to feed their families, build or refurbish their houses, buy bicycles and domestic animals, pay tuition, for school materials, health insurance, and join savings groups. "We are experiencing a well-deserved and improved livelihood," they joyfully admitted.

The Cooperative of Environmental Protection and Farming in Sebeya catchment-CEPF grouping 154 landowners among them 69 women in the Muhanda sector of Ngororero district, has been launched with a capital of 10,199,500Rwf contributed between December 2020 to March 2021.

As revealed by Nsengimana Justin, the president of CEPF, all members of this cooperative have their land in Sebeya catchment where the project of Embedding Integrated Water Resource Management in Rwanda-EWMR has installed radical terraces as a strategy to fight erosion. “The project paid us for having installed these radical terraces on our land,” he added and explained that they made terraces on 89ha in the Muhanda sector.

Uwiragiye Claudine and Nsengiyumva Emmanuel are members of the Terimbere Gishari cooperative under the Farm to Market Alliance-FtMA project in the Rwamagana district. Five years ago, they were hired as casual workers to cultivate in others’ farms.

In 2012, Uwiragiye Claudine left Ngororero district in search of casual jobs in Rwamagana. Since then, she worked in others’ farms when knows the project, she started receiving FtMA training such as Good Agriculture Practices-GAP and Post-Harvest Handling and Storage-PHHS training. Claudine noticed that maize is the source of money and wealth and therefore decided to change her financial status by investing time and means in maize production.

Farmers under the Farm to Market Alliance-FtMA project through their respective cooperatives in the Rwamagana district invested in post-harvest equipment to guarantee good maize production quality. Consequently, these farmers ordered about 460 tarpaulins at 5,980,000Rwf and 4500 bags at 1,575,000Rwf.

As Namahoro Olive expressed, a cooperative member purchased and received post-harvest equipment; tarpaulins are beneficial for drying maize cobs while bags are for maize grain packaging. “It has always been very tough to dry maize in the rainy season, and tarpaulins are the best at keeping the maize dry and prevent the aflatoxin,” she explained.

Kamuhanda Silas, the very first farmer to deliver to the market 10 metric tons of maize harvested from 3 hectares in the 2021A season, is a SUBIZA cooperative member in the Ngoma district. This cooperative has been under the Farm to Market Alliance-FtMA project since 2018.

In an interview with Kamuhanda, he confirmed this news starting that he is skilled enough to know the right period to prepare the land, especially maize, due to Good Agriculture Practices-GAP training. “I prepared my land in July 2020, and as I was already aware that around 15th August it normally rains, ...

Farmers in the Mutenderi sector, Ngoma district, who are the beneficiaries of “Improving livelihoods and climate resilience of the smallholder farmers by using green technologies,” the project expects to have their lives improved soon.

In an interview with Nyiramana Esperance, a beneficiary of the Green technologies project in Ngoma district, Mutenderi site; she explained that she expects to have family income increased due to improved agricultural techniques. “I feel blessed that my land has been included in the delimited area. I will be able to produce crops for home consumption and the market throughout the year”, she added.

Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative-RWARRI is presently implementing a solar pumping irrigation project in Zaza and Mutenderi sectors on 10ha, respectively, in the Ngoma district. Mutenderi sector’s farmers have shown a commitment to sustaining the project irrigation facilities after installation. Thus, farmers in Mutenderi have formed 3 savings groups with 26 farmers in each group.

As stated by Mukarurangwa Languida, a beneficiary of this project and a member of one of these savings groups, they agreed on saving 100 Rwandan francs per farmer every Thursday, which is 400 Rwandan francs per farmer every month.