Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative

Author : Denise Odhiambo
Date added : 2002-04-10

Brief Project Background

After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, many youths were left homeless, orphaned and without education and means of livelihood. They could not get white-collar jobs either due to lack of proper education and technical skills. There were two problems: The need for local ICT experts in Rwanda and lack of qualified ICT personnel. There was need to create employment for these youths who were genocide survivors. My project Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative was started to address this problem with a view of training genocide survivors on basic ICT skills to enable them start information Centers and to produce ICT experts in Rwanda who were/are very scarce. There was lack of Information data bank and ICT experts. The project started at the beginning of 2000.

The project is trying to create employment opportunities in the informal sector to the thousands of jobless Rwandese youths who survived the genocide. It helps to alleviate poverty, thus addresses poverty reduction in the country. It also promotes peace and reconciliation among the youths participating in the project through information sharing.

The project involved setting up networked 20 recycled 486 computers installed with win95 operating system and ms-office software donated by NU-Vision Ministry. The Youths were trained on basic computer skills and database management. We trained them on basic databases. We used the local language, Kinyarwanda which is also the National Language to train the youths. After gaining basic computer skills, we started training them on how to maintain their own information database. We started with 40 youths with
two training sessions everyday but later on the number started swelling as word went round. We started handling up to 80 trainees a day with more training sessions in place.

Our main objective was to start an information center data bank where any one could walk in and get basic information of every kind in electronic form. To do this the youths had to be computer literate first before the objective could be met.

We networked the computers and built a database. The youths would collect various information on various disciplines and would do the data entry onto the computers. When the data bank was ready we hosted onto the Network (intranet) so that it can be accessed to other people through the network. The information hosted on the intranet included tourist sites and information, administrative information, contact addresses for various NGO''s and Embassies in Rwanda, various Government departments, general information
about Rwanda, companies, Universities, Colleges and schools.

We also maintained a database for employers and job seekers in various disciplines. The job seekers would register with us at a small fee, RWF 2,000 (USD 5). Employers would also register with us at a fee of RWF 40,000 (USD 100) and contact us whenever they need to hire employees so that we can get for them the right candidates. The job seekers also visit our offices to check on the opportunities available in different companies/organizations through our data bank.

People would visit our offices to look for various information. People traveling outside the country for example would come to get information on the contacts of Rwandese Embassy in the country he or she is visiting. Visitors to Rwanda would come to get information on the places to visit, their embassy contacts, general information about Rwanda etc. Students would come to get information about various schools, colleges and universities on courses offered. Citizens would come to get basic information on Government procedures on acquiring documents like identity card, passport etc.

Results

• The project trains about 240 annually and 720 youths since its inception
  
• The project has a functional information centre equipped with a databank run on an intranet
  
• Has created employment opportunities to many youths.
  
• About 80 youths from the training center have been so far absorbed in the job market both in Government and private sector
  
• An average of 200,000 citizens benefit directly or indirectly from the project everyday.
  
• We now have about 5 instructors who are also genocide survivors whom we also trained to train others.
  
• We train other people computer skills. We do in house training.
  
  Community needs fulfilled:
  
  
• The Technology has created self-employment to the youths who now maintain and manage the database and get money from database consumers. Using ICT has created employment opportunity for these genocide survivors who were otherwise jobless.
  
• Using ICT, Information has been organized into a databank where it can be accessed easily and paid for its use enabling people to get a source of income.
  
• ICT training has provided the genocide survivors with skills that have enabled them acquire employment in Private sector and in Government.
  
• There was need for ICT literacy. So far number of youths have acquired ICT skills.
  
• The two warring tribes (Hutus and Tutsis) have come together to participate in this project, thus promoting peace in their country.
  
  When we started the project the number of youths who were participating was small. There was only one class every day. The number started growing big with increased participation which can be attributed to awareness creation by the youths participating in the project telling their peers.
  
  When the information centres started coming up, people started realizing the importance of the project and basic ICT skills training.
  
  There is increased number of people visiting the information/training center to get various information concerning them. This means that people no longer walk long distances only to be told the requirements for acquiring a National Identity card or a passport. They visit our information centers to get this information.
  
  Many visits to the information centers mean more revenue to the genocide survivors who manage the centre.
  
  The number of visitors and tourists who visit them to obtain various information also add up to generating revenue.
  
  The project roll out has been successful in partnership with Cyber Cafes, which are wide spread and cover a large area through out the country. So using the Cyber cafes' already existing Network infrastructure has made the project more accessible to the citizens.
  
  Project's impact:
  
  By end of last year we carried a survey to find out the impact of our project. We looked at the amount and type of information accessed against the number of people who visited the information centers in a period of one year. We also obtained statistics from Government departments on the number of people who have applied for the services for the past one-year, compared to the previous years we also obtained statistics from employers who are registered with us on the number of employees hired and the time frame
  and compared with the previous years before the service. There was noticeable increase in the number of people who applied for services/jobs in the past one year. This was attributed mostly to increased awareness on the side of general population and easy accessibility to information within the shortest time.
  
  Employers for example would take along time before they get jobs applied for by job seekers, but now they get immediate response from job seekers because of the database that the project maintains. Job seekers would also just visit the information centers to check on the status of their applications instead of roaming the whole city and towns looking for jobs.

Lessons

The major challenge to my project was Language barrier. The official language in Rwanda is Kinyarwanda which is the mother tongue, followed by French and more recently introduced is English. One needs to have better education to learn French and English. Worse still the computers were in English. We had to get a translator.

The second challenge was people's attitude towards learning new technology (techno-phobia). They thought that computers are for the elites and computers could not take their mother tongue, which was the official language. I had to give them a lot of motivation and confidence building.

If I were to do the project again, I would establish the Information Centers first then, use the centers to train the youths who survived the genocide. This will ensure speedy income generation for sustainability to the youths and at the same time the youths would learn on job by doing.

The advice for others interested in starting a project like this:

• Access is very important when doing a project like this. People should be able to have an access to the project itself to promote increased participation. You must roll out the project as well to reach the entire population.
  
  
• Local content is the key word here. Most people are interested in what they are familiar with and what affects their day today lives and a solution. You should also incorporate the local language. This makes the project appear to the local community that they wholly own the project.
  
  
• Human Resource development is very important for the continuation of a project. You should train the locals on how to manage and run the project. You should always involve the locals in daily running of the project and decision-making; this will attract participation from the local population.
  
  
• Partnerships are the core for the success of most projects. You should always think of collaborating with other stakeholders for the easy roll out of the project.
  
  
• ICT can promote peace in a war torn country by bringing the warring communities to participate in the project through information sharing.

Development Impacts

My project has impacted positively in combating poverty by creating employment opportunities to thousands of youths who survived the 1994 genocide.

It has enabled the youths to acquire ICT skills that have enabled them to get employment in various sectors. It has provided self-employment through the formation of Information centers in collaboration with Cybercafes in the country. Thus enabling to earn a living for themselves and their dependants.

The main beneficiaries have been the Government of Rwanda in her efforts to fight un employment and poverty eradication, the people of Rwanda in accessing crucial information in a timely manner without walking many kilometers to get it, the youths who survived the genocide acquired the ICT skills that have enabled them to be self employed or employed in various sectors of the economy thus enabling them to earn a living by getting money.

It has promoted peace by engaging vulnerable youths to information sharing and gathering. The youths from both the Tutsi and Hutu communities came together to fight a common enemy, which is ignorance by accepting the Technology. Indeed no tangible development can occur in a country without peace.

Project Information

Organisation : RWARRI
Total budget in US$ : $2200 per Month from the information centers

Are there any partners involved : yes
What is partners role?: The Partners in this project was the NU-Vision Ministry, who donated the computers and Cybercafes which we used as the project roll out centers.

Contact Information

Denise Odhiambo
deniseodhiambo@yahoo.co.uk
B.P 6626
Kigali
Rwanda

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