Quarterly Report for Cooperative Agreement No. AID 696-A-11-00008--Rwanda Integrated Improved Livelihoods Program

Over the past 18 months of implementation, the program has built critical momentum for continued program success, having reached over 15,000 rural Rwandan households. The program's strong management and technical teams, complemented by four local Rwandan Partner Organizations (RPOs), have ensured activities within the four integrated program elements addressed the needs of USAID Ejo Heza beneficiaries, the rural poor in eight Rwandan districts. The program's four key elements are: increased demand for financial services, increased supply of financial services, behavior change and marketing, and health and nutrition. The increased demand for financial services element addresses the demand-side issues that limit the use of financial services to improve livelihoods and food consumption by promoting savings and use of credit, financial literacy, basic literacy and numeracy, while expanding access to business development and agricultural extension services. To date, 702 internal savings and loan groups (ISLGs) have been formed and trained across all eight target districts, with 45% of them opening bank accounts. The increased supply of financial services element seeks out, engages, and provides targeted support to those financial service providers, including microfinance institutions, SACCOs, and potentially commercial banks, with the interest and capacity to expand their outreach and develop products that meet the needs of the rural market. A "Mapping the Financial Sector Landscape" study was conducted, allowing for scaling up in FY13. The behavior change and marketing element sensitize the population on the benefits of financial services, improving production practices, working cooperatively, and improving access to health and nutrition services. This will be achieved through model farmers, ISLGs, and cooperative members as Behavior Change Volunteers (BCVs), already known and respected within their communities. The health and nutrition element implements complementary short-term and long-term actions to ensure that the most vulnerable populations attain skills and knowledge that lead to greater food security and greater understanding of diet, nutrition, and hygiene—especially within the critical first 1,000 days of newborn children and their mothers. All nutrition activities, coordinated by Save the Children, will be linked closely with both education and extension services delivered by Rwandan partner organizations (RPOs) as well as with the stringent approval requirements of the Government of Rwanda. Over 27,900 Rwandans accessed agricultural extension services, and 4,856 kitchen gardens were completed to date. The program's achievements in the first year of implementation have been significant, with all program elements reaching or exceeding year one targets. The program's strong partnerships with local Rwandan Partner Organizations (RPOs) have been instrumental in the program's success, with RPO field staff mobilizing communities, selecting members to form initial ISLGs, and training them in the methodology and providing an ISLG Savings Kit. The program's focus on behavior change and marketing has also been successful, with over 1,200 BCVs trained in critical areas of USAID Ejo Heza implementation. The program's achievements in the health and nutrition element have also been notable, with over 27,900 Rwandans accessing agricultural extension services and 4,856 kitchen gardens completed to date. The program's strong partnerships with local Rwandan Partner Organizations (RPOs) and the Government of Rwanda have been instrumental in the program's success in this area. The program's focus on improving food security and understanding of diet, nutrition, and hygiene has been critical in addressing the needs of the rural poor in eight Rwandan districts. The program's achievements in the first year of implementation have been significant, and the program is well-positioned for continued success in the future. The program's strong management and technical teams, complemented by four local Rwandan Partner Organizations (RPOs), will continue to address the needs of USAID Ejo Heza beneficiaries, the rural poor in eight Rwandan districts. The program's focus on increasing demand for financial services, increasing supply of financial services, behavior change and marketing, and health and nutrition will continue to be critical in addressing the needs of the rural poor in Rwanda.