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By Annonciata Byukusenge
On a quiet morning in Rwimbogo Sector, Gatsibo District, the low hum of livestock fills the air around Jeanne Muhongerwa’s farm. At 50, Jeanne is no stranger to the beats of a livestock childhood; she grew up in a household where cows were part of everyday life. For her parents, keeping livestock wasn’t about business; it was about heritage and providing milk for the family.
Muhongerwa and her husband, Emmanuel Munyaburanga, carried that tradition forward. But the couple soon realized that the way their parents had done things no longer worked.
“We had 50 cows grazing on 30 ha, Muhongerwa recalls, her voice carrying a mixture of pride and exhaustion from those years. But all that effort gave us only 30 to 50 liters of milk per day. We were paying workers, yet the income couldn’t cover the costs. It was more loss than gain.”
A Leap of Faith
Everything shifted in 2023 when Muhongerwa heard information about a Commercialization and De-Risking for Agricultural Transformation (CDAT) project supporting women farmers. At first, she brushed it aside. It sounded ambitious, and she doubted her husband would accept it.
But an encouraging friend encouraged her to take a chance. “When I finally told my husband, he surprised me,” Muhongerwa says, laughing softly. “He said, ‘Go for it.’ He even pushed me to prepare the proposal.”
Fortunately, Muhongerwa’s project is among the 244 projects that were selected from over 109,000 applicants. The excitement quickly gave way to a new worry: how to raise 50% of the funds required to qualify.
The answer came with a bold decision to sell their beloved traditional cows. “It wasn’t easy, he admits, but we knew it was the only way to move forward.”
The call for support was very competitive.
Bonfils Mugambira is an access to finance specialist at RAB-SPIU and is in charge of the Matching grant at the CDAT project.
He highlights the key points in the selection process.
“The first call for applications for the matching grant was opened on 28th June 2023 and closed on 12th July 2023. The number of applications received was 109,385, requesting 740,656,769,097 RWF. Due to budget constraints, only applicants with 100% marks (1,320) qualified to proceed to the next stage of submitting business plans.”
He added that the 472 business plans were received, applying for 15,313,928,311 RWF. Out of them, 244 were approved, requesting a grant amount of 8,615,719,848 Rwf.
Modern Dairy, Modern Results
By early 2024, their farm had transformed. A modern cowshed, cooling room, store, and feed shed rose from the fields. With 82 million francs of their own money, they purchased 25 high-yield dairy cows. The CDAT project matched their contribution, funding another 25 cows.
The impact was immediate. “Now, with 50 cows, we get 200 liters of milk per day,” Muhongerwa beams. Before, the same number gave us just 30 to 50 liters. It’s like night and day.”
And it wasn’t just about milk. The new facilities used only 0.5 ha of their land, freeing up more space for food crops and pasture. The barn itself can accommodate up to 200 cows, while the fodder store holds 10,000 tons, providing ample room for future growth.
For Muhongerwa, the cultural pride of livestock rearing has now merged with hard business sense. “Our parents kept cows out of love. For us, it’s business. Every drop of milk is sold in 200 liters per day at 400 francs per liter. That’s income we can depend on.”
Looking Ahead
The couple isn’t stopping here. Munyaburanga Emmanuel, the farm manager, shares their vision for the daily operations.
“We dream of building a livestock training center here,” Munyaburanga says. Young people could come and learn farming without traveling far. We hope to have a factory for natural fertilizer. Farmers need it desperately, and the demand is bigger than what’s available now.”
Another Success Story in Ngoma
Across the country, in Ngoma District’s Zaza Sector, Agnes Mugirasoni and her daughter Petronille Mukadusabe have written their own chapter of change this time in poultry.
Mukadusabe remembers the frustration of her early years. “I started with 500 chickens back in 2012, but they barely gave 1800 eggs per day. The housing was poor, and the food was scarce. Honestly, it felt hopeless.”
Then came the same CDAT project. With a total project worth 84 million francs split evenly between their contribution and the grant, they built a modern poultry house and stocked it with 6,000 poules.
The difference
Extraordinary. “Now we collect 54,000 eggs per day,” Mukadusabe says, her face lighting up. “It still amazes me every morning.”
The financial rewards have followed. A tray of eggs sells for 4,700 francs, and the family plans to expand to 10,000 chickens. They are even preparing to install a cooling machine to keep eggs fresh, a step toward scaling their business further.
More Than Just Livestock
For both Muhongerwa and Mukadusabe, these projects mean more than personal success. They’ve become employers, offering permanent and casual jobs to others in their communities.
“We used to think farming was just survival, Muhongerwa reflects. Now, it’s growth. It’s empowerment. It’s proof that women can lead, invest, and change their lives.”
In fields once filled with traditional herds and struggling flocks, Rwanda’s women farmers are rewriting the story of livestock, turning culture into commerce and tradition into transformation.
CDAT has already supported 244 projects across the country, with a value of over 8.6 billion Rwf.
CDAT -Commercialization and De-Risking for Agricultural Transformation Project, it is funded by the World Bank, and implemented by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board through its single project implementation Unit (SPIU)
