Livelihood Restoration Program

THE LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION PROGRAM (LRP)

I. Background

The Regional Rusumo Falls Hydro Electric Project (RRFHEP) implemented by NELSAP is to benefit three neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi. It is estimated to produce about 80 MW on the Kagera River at the Rusumo Falls located on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania under a Run of River (RoR) scheme.

Expected impacts to Project Affected People (PAPs) vary from loss of residential structures, business structures, loss of employment, loss of agriculture land, loss of marshland use, etc. All the PAPs are within Kirehe District in Rwanda and Ngara District in Tanzania. The number of households entitled to Livelihood restoration program is Sixty-Seven (67HHs) from Kigarama and Nyamugali sectors of Kirehe district and affected 103 households in Tanzania. These include people who suffered economic losses due to displacement caused construction activities.

A resettlement action plan (RAP)[1] was prepared in accordance with World Bank social safeguard requirements (OP 4.12) “Involuntary Resettlement” and AfDB (2003) Involuntary Resettlement Policy. The RAP ensures that PAPs, who have suffered any economic or physical displacement resulting from the Project, whether permanent or temporary, will be resettled in a socially responsible manner and according to good international practice.

The RAP also fulfils the requirements of the national legislation of the Republic of Rwanda and Tanzania. The RAP final report (July 2013) spells out in its section 7.6 the relevance and the package of the Livelihood Restoration Program to economically affected households.

Affected households are entitled to participate in and to benefit from the targeted set of livelihood restoration programs:

• Financial training for the sustainable use of cash compensation (including training on the maintenance of a bank account, on small household investments, saving strategy and financial planning on the household level);
• Agricultural extension training for intensification of production;
• Livestock keeping extension training, and
• Business skills training: facilitation of access to alternative income generating activities.

All affected households were given cash compensation for their affected assets. In addition to cash compensation, 67 households have expressed a keen interest to participate in the Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) to ensure that their livelihoods are restored to their pre-displacement state and where possible even made better. The project will involve 127 direct beneficiaries, comprised of60 women and 67 men, who are the people affected by the project (PAPs).

Objectives of Livelihoods Restoration program

The main project objective this LRP is to restore or improve the livelihoods of PAPs. Specifically, the project aims at providing training and start-up inputs to PAPs in different areas of intervention including agriculture, livestock and off-business, on business/entrepreneurship skills, sustainable agriculture production and livestock development.

II. LRP in Rwanda

The development of this project is a result of a participatory process involving Project Affected People (PAPs), the Kirehe District Task Force and two Non-Governmental Organisations ARAMA and ONG CREDI, and IMIRASIRE Y’ITERAMBERE SACCO KIGARAMA (S.D.S.K.).

These three institutions have been selected by the Kirehe District to be key partners in the Livelihoods Restoration Programme preparation and implementation based on their experiences of livelihood activities implementation in the district.

Given their technical expertise and involvement in community development activities in Kirehe District, they will contribute their human resources and time to provide quality and tailor-made training and extension services, which are relevant and efficient to suit the needs of the Project Affected People in three areas: crop production, livestock keeping and business development services. The Rusumo project will provide financial support to cover capacity building, follow up and start-up inputs required funds.

1.1 Proposed Interventions and Beneficiaries

1.2 Target groups

The targeted group is composed of 67 households from Rusumo East Village, Kinyanzi Cell, Nyamugari Sector 5 villages (Nshungerezi, Nyakabungo, Nyakwisi, Ruhuha, Rusumo West) from Nyankurazo Cell, Kigarama Sector. All the PAPs have been compensated. Through the consultative process, the PAPs have identified the preferred activities in which they would like to invest their money, but need capacity building services from experts in terms of to training in areas of agriculture, livestock and business development services. PAPs will be also provided with basic inputs as start up for the new businesses.

 A number of activities including crosscutting issues will be implemented and have been categorized into three components as follows:

1.3.1 Sustainable Agriculture development

Farming activities in Kirehe district, like most of Rwanda, are the main source of livelihood for the village community. The common crops grown include maize, beans, cassava, potatoes and banana, predominantly grown traditionally. This makes farming a substance activity in Rwanda. Affected households in Kirehe district have expressed the desire of improving their agricultural practices as a way of increasing production and land productivity. Both practical and theoretical training for intensification of production and productivity have been proposed in the livelihoods restoration program.

In addition to these training, PAPs will be provided with start-up inputs.127 PAPs in 67 households selected to participate in sustainable agriculture development sub-program and HHs PAPs in the subprograms will be subsidized with inputs and other material support to enhance their livelihoods. Special consideration will take into account women participation and their availability throughout the training and practical enhancement to their livelihoods. Selected enterprises are: Vegetables (Tomatoes and Cabbages, Soya beans, Beans and Mushroom production and 42 PAPs will participate in this sub-component.

1.3.2 Livestock development

The Government has been promoting stronger agriculture-livestock integration to improve both farmers' livelihood and soil fertility management. The “Girainka program” (“one poor family – one cow”) was implemented throughout Rwanda. This program aims at enabling every poor household to own and manage an improved dairy cow, which would help the family to improve their livelihood through increased milk and meat production and to improve soil fertility of their land for their crops using the available manure.

The program is based on a zero-grazing policy (the cow should be kept in a stable and fed with fodder gathered either from cultivation or in the bush or marshland and crop stubble).

In sub-component, 46 PAPs have selected Cattle zero grazing, Poultry production, Goat keeping, Piggery and apiculture (beekeeping) as livelihoods restoration activities.

1.3.3 Off-farm business

Some affected PAPs were involved in off-farm business. They were neither in agriculture nor livestock and selected off farm activities as a way of restoring their livelihoods. Selected off-farm businesses are;

1. (a)Hair dressing
2. (b)Tailoring
3. (c)Restaurant
4. (d)Stock and sale of agricultural commodities.

In total 39 PAPs will participate in the subprogram and will be provided with trainings and start-up inputs.

1.3.4 Business development skills

This training will be organized for127 PAPs who registered for LRP and will be trained in business development, linkage to financial institutions, marketing strategy as a way of strengthening the capacity of managing their selected business. Also products such as value addition and credit schemes, financial discipline and income generating activities will be considered.

Proposed interventions, Beneficiaries and implementing partners, Rwanda

LRP in Tanzania

On the Tanzanian side, the construction of Rusumo hydropower plant has affected 103 households and 4 groups located in Ngara district, Rusumo Village. Project impacts on PAPs vary from loss of lands residential and commercial houses, loss of employment and other livelihoods activities. Thus, in addition the compensation received by PAPs Therefore, the livelihood restoration program were designed and intends to assist the project affected people ( PAPs) with necessary skills to support livestock keeping, fish farming, sustainable agriculture, bee keeping, business skills in order to maintain or improve their livelihoods security.

The LRP will further provide support to the HHs with inputs that will enhance the usefulness of the imparted skills which will ultimately restore and or improve their livelihood. So, the direct project beneficiaries of the LRP Programme will be 232 identified PAPs from Rusumo village interested in livelihood programs including livestock, agriculture, and off-farm Business.

Alignment of LRP with national and local development plans

During the community needs assessment session conducted in Rusumo village, it was noted that among the community needs and priorities were skills in agriculture, livestock keeping, fish farming, bee keeping and business skills.

The LRP is well aligned with the district priorities, the National strategy for growth and reduction of poverty (NSGRP) and Tanzania Development Vision 2025. It will contribute to reinforce partnership and counts on the contribution of district players toward PAPs livelihood improvement and poverty reduction.

Stakeholders involvement and coordination

The LRP planning process involved the Project Implementation Unit(PIU), the district of Ngara, PAPs and its local partners. The district accepted to lead the implementation of the LRP as recommended by the RAP. Through a participatory planning process with the PAPs, the joint team identified the LRP priorities and discussed the implementing agencies roles and responsibilities. The NGOs partners in Ngara district are Marafikiwa Africa Tanzania (MAT), Community Development Initiative Support (CODISO), Relief to Development Society (REDESO), Tanganyika Christian Refugee Services (TCRS).The project have also other key partners along the above listed NGOs, which includes National Microfinance Bank (NMB), Small industries Development Organization (SIDO) and the affected community in general.

Proposed interventions, Beneficiaries and implementing partners, Tanzania