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By Annonciata Byukusenge
People who once struggled to find food for their families, surviving only by working on neighbors’ farms for daily incomes, are now working alongside the government to help others escape poverty. This transformation is reflected in the testimony of Nikuze Didacienne, a 58-year-old woman from Mataba Cell, Burega Sector, Rulindo District.
Nikuze is now a professional pig farmer, but her life was not always this way. For many years, she lived in extreme poverty and could not produce enough food from her land. To survive, she had to work on other people’s farms just to afford a meal.
“I was among the poorest. I couldn’t even manage to feed myself. Paying for community health insurance was impossible. The 1,000 Rwandan francs I earned per day were not enough to buy food for a single day. Life was very hard; my house was worse than a cowshed.”
How Nikuze Escaped Poverty
In 2021, Nikuze heard that the government was planning to support vulnerable citizens to help them move out of poverty. At first, she never imagined she could be among the beneficiaries.
“I didn’t think I would qualify. At the time, I was seriously ill and hospitalized. The illness left me with a permanent disability. When local leaders came to inform me that I had been selected, I was still in the hospital, so they left the message with my child.”
Even after learning she had been selected, Nikuze was unsure about the kind of support she would receive.
“I worried that whatever assistance they gave me might prevent me from continuing to earn money by working on other people’s farms. But when they told me I would receive small livestock, I decided to try my best and take good care of them.”
At the end of 2021, through the PRISM project, Nikuze received pigs.
“The project gave me two pigs. I raised them well, and they grew and reproduced. One gave birth to eight piglets, the other to seven. I kept two piglets and sold nine. With that money, I rented farmland and expanded the pig shelters. I was blessed again when they later gave birth to 15 piglets.”
As her pig farming expanded, Nikuze continued to sell mature pigs and used the income to buy cows, steadily building her assets and improving her livelihood.
Production increased because of fertilizer from pig farming
Beyond livestock, pig manure became a turning point in her crop production. Nikuze says that she owns about a5 of land. In the past, she harvested only 50 kg of potatoes from that plot.
“Now that I have fertilizer from my animals, I apply it properly to my fields.” Where I used to harvest 50 kilograms of potatoes, I now harvest 2 tons. I don’t benefit alone; I also share fertilizer with my neighbors.”
Now, Nikuze has 20 pigs.
The impact of the PRISM project is also recognized by the Rulindo district. Mr. Théoneste Rugerinyange, the vice mayor of Rulindo District in charge of economic development, says the project has brought visible change.
“Poverty levels have decreased, and people’s living conditions have improved. “Those who received support are now self-reliant and are even helping others by sharing livestock and skills. The results are tangible.”
PRISM is a project jointly implemented by the Government of Rwanda in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), through the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), and implemented under the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB).
