USAID/Rwanda: History of USAID in Rwanda

foreign economic and social assistance. USAID operates in over 100 countries worldwide, promoting peace and stability through economic growth, agriculture, and trade; protecting human health; improving education; providing emergency humanitarian assistance; preventing conflicts; and enhancing democracy in developing countries. USAID began providing assistance to Rwanda in 1964, with nearly $1.3 billion in humanitarian assistance and programs provided since then. USAID operates in Rwanda under a Strategic Objective Agreement with the Government of Rwanda and within the framework of the U.S.-Rwanda bilateral agreement, which has been in effect since 1992. USAID programs cooperate with ministries, governmental and non-governmental organizations, businesses, and communities to improve the well-being of Rwandans through improved laws, new jobs, increased incomes, improved services, and better management of available resources. USAID programs in Rwanda are implemented mainly through contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements by over 80 local and international organizations, including U.N. agencies, for-profit companies, and non-governmental organizations. The mission statement of USAID/Rwanda is to increase economic growth and improve well-being in Rwanda. Key objectives include increased use of community health services, including HIV/AIDS; expanded economic opportunities in rural areas; and improved governance through increased citizen participation. The history of USAID in Rwanda dates back to the mid-1960s, with initial support averaging about $400,000 annually. Programs focused on health and sanitation, public safety, and public service training. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Rwanda received assistance through the Self-Help Fund, which was used to stimulate and assist small self-help endeavors in communities. During the late 1970s, USAID programs in food and nutrition, agriculture, and rural development averaged $1.5 million per year. In 1976, Rwanda began receiving PL480 Title II assistance, which it continues to receive today. In the 1980s, the focus of USAID/Rwanda's development program shifted to agricultural education and research, economic policy analysis, and natural resources management. Activities such as maternal and child health, family planning, cooperative training, and private enterprise development were introduced. USAID support averaged more than $7 million annually, originating from development assistance, PL480 II, and Economic Support Fund sources. Development Fund for Africa support began in 1988. During the early 1990s, USAID support averaged $22.5 million in development assistance, development fund for Africa, economic support funds, and PL480 II funding. Programs in the agriculture, economic growth, and health sectors continued, and the mission initiated activities in democracy/governance and humanitarian assistance. The assistance was interrupted by the genocide in April 1994 and was re-established several months later to provide emergency and humanitarian aid, including food aid for refugees and internally displaced people, as well as programs in health and nutrition, water and sanitation, and seeds and tools. In response to the stabilizing political and social situation in the country, in 1998, USAID began the "transitional phase" of its assistance to Rwanda, which focused on expanding the HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness program, and integrating food security, agricultural development, and technology. USAID assistance from 1994 to 1999 averaged approximately $61 million. During the early 2000s, USAID assistance focused on capacity building and laying the foundations for sustainable development. Specifically, the program focused on rebuilding the justice system, the health system, the agricultural research and extension system, and rebuilding physical infrastructure. Additional support in information and communications technology (ICT) and higher education brought computer and internet services and advanced training courses in public health, conflict management, law, and agriculture to the National University of Rwanda and other tertiary training institutions. USAID also continued food security initiatives under the PL480 program. USAID assistance from 2000 to 2003 averaged $34.7 million. From 2004 to present, the focus of USAID assistance has been on supporting the objectives of the Government of Rwanda as outlined in its Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy. USAID funding has steadily increased from about $48 million in 2004 to over $150 million in 2009. The bulk of the increase was due to the launch of the new U.S. President's Initiatives for HIV/AIDS (2004) and Malaria (2007), as well as the launch of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Program for Rwanda (2008). Health programs constitute the majority of USAID's current assistance to Rwanda, with a focus on health system strengthening, HIV/AIDS, malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health. In addition, USAID supports programs that promote good governance, economic growth, and education.