A path shared for 27 years - IFAD

The Socio-Health Programme
in Rwanda, 1997-2002
In April-May 1994, over two million Rwandans fled their
homes to escape ethnic violence. The outbreak of civil unrest
and banditry in the North Kivu area provoked their return
en masse back to Rwanda. The returnees had little more than
the clothes on their backs; they were emaciated and cowed;
over 40 per cent of the children were severely malnourished.
They returned to a devastated country where both private
and especially public facilities had been damaged, pillaged
or destroyed. In 1998, the three IFAD-financed agricultural
development projects that had been suspended during the
events were restarted. Four grants were awarded through
the Joint Programme with a view to helping finance the
rehabilitation of health and other social services in the same
project areas. The three grants connected with the IFAD
projects were managed by the staff of those projects. The
grants were to be used to: a) rehabilitate/build and equip the
primary health care system in Nemba, Ngarama and Kigeme
districts; b) introduce a community-based approach to the
delivery of health and nutrition services; and c) finance
the operating costs of NGO partners engaged to run the
microfinance schemes of the three IFAD projects. The aim of a
fourth grant was to strengthen the ability of the central health
administration to improve the delivery of primary health care
services in compliance with the recommendations both of the
World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF).
Recording a child’s weight on the graph. Green is well
nourished, red is dangerously malnourished, Rwanda.
©IFAD/R. Grossman
A consultation at a child-weighing
clinic, Rwanda.
©IFAD/R. Grossman
THE SOCIO-HEALTH PROGRAMME
IN RWANDA
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