NYABIHU DISTRICT/INZIRAKURUTWA
NYABIHU DISTRICT

A. Problem Analysis

 1. What was the problem before the implementation of the initiative?
Based on experiences, the lessons learned in the genocide where Rwandan destructed their development activities because they have never been consulted before or involved in their development; The Nyabihu District, based on that took decision to involve as many as possible population to be part of the decision making and being part of the think tank of their district with other key stakeholders like civil society, private sector, local leaders, opinion leaders to be in one team. Based on the principle of “If you plan without me, you are planning against me” we in Nyabihu District in our plans, basically in our performance contracts, district development plans, budgets are oriented to resolve those issues related to poor’s, elders, women’s promotions…... We involved the above teams as mentioned to help district to think outside of the box, so that we can be more competitiveness, transparency and accountable to our peoples by considering those above particular cases. However, after an evaluation we did in that period, we found that the activities done with involvement of the peoples where they were part in the decisions making, have been sustainable, maintained and they are the one who protected them, which is different in the genocide where peoples destructed the infrastructures because they do not have any idea on cost, its important etc… For example, we have 238 rooms of basic schools well known as 9YBE and 12YBE (Basic education), where local population played an important role by contributing at least more than 30% of the total budget expected, so that other budget was invested in other development activities. Note that, the schools now have been constructed by themselves; they contributed to the education standards and supervised the works by themselves. In conclusion, involving local peoples or other vulnerable groups in our district, have been too benefit to our population because, the activities such as infrastructures which cost much, somehow, if peoples are well mobilized and motivated as we are doing it now in all our plans, we found that even the projects can be less expensive because some peoples are actively involved and can leave their lands freely if for example we are constructing modern roads, modern markets, electrification and distribution…..

B. Strategic Approach

 2. What was the solution?
In the recent years, the government of Rwanda established different policies and strategies aiming achieving its VISION 2020, EDPRS II by all means. It is in this regard that, Decentralization policy has been put in the place since 2000 in order to speed up development but mostly involving peoples in their destiny and speeding up the economic growth. Government of Rwanda and its key stakeholders in the development have designed a plan where all activities being done in the local government should involve more peoples in each and everything that need their views, opinions and decisions. However, through consultative meetings conducted at central and local level, the resolutions of all stakeholders were that local peoples have to be part of decision maker to sustained development activities. One of the important resolution from that consultative meeting was that “local people at center of its development” so, the proposal was given by both Central, Local governments and its key stakeholders. This initiative solved many issues related to planning, budgeting, and implementation of activities where people are more involved and directly need its approval. Such activities which need more implication of local peoples and other stakeholders are those like expropriations, construction of basic education like 9 and 12 YBE, modern infrastructures……if they are well mobilized, motivated, and facilitated during the project design and implementation of such activities and ensure its sustainability. The adoption of budget should in anywhere, consider the issues related to poverty reduction, job creation, increasing of productivity, increasing modern infrastructures and service delivery.

 3. How did the initiative solve the problem and improve people’s lives?
Nyabihu district have adopted the initiative that all annual action plans, budget year and performance contracts should be discussed and approved by local peoples through their families, villages, cells, sectors and district level where by they agreed to which activities will be done in that respective period. The planning phase in the district start from a family level where all family members decide on activities to be achieved during the year and signed between them and local leaders as performance contract. Development projects start on the needs and priorities highlighted by local peoples and submitted to other high organs to be adopted by District Council as supreme organ in the District and which represent officially local people. These ways are innovative in the sense that all local people is concerned, consulted, motivated because she/he have participated in the phases of plannification of its activities to be done and budgeted for that particular year.

C. Execution and Implementation

 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
The strategies used by Nyabihu District are “Inteko z’Abaturage” (Gathered meeting), Consultative meetings…. Through also ijisho ry’umuturanyi (Neighbors eye), abajyanama b’Ubuzima (Community Health workers), ikayi y’Ibibazo……Different local initiatives such Inshuti mu kwigira (Friend in self-reliance), kubyara muri batisimu (To be your god father)…..  “Inteko z’Abaturage” (Gathered meeting/consultation meeting) These meetings are prepared and implemented on monthly basis, where district authorities meet all populations and resolving the most needed issues related to conflicts among peoples, projects to be developed among them, their futures, plans, identifying most vulnerable people to be supported by local government and all related issues such as Community health insurance, list of beneficiaries in the different policies and programs such as one cow per family….discussed on issues related to individual contribution of each and everybody to various socio-economic sectors.  ijisho ry’umuturanyi (Neighbors eye) This strategy is used to maintain security issues at lower level (family, village, cells levels…). This strategy is so important that it helps local leaders to know on time what are dangerous to security such gender based violence, drugs consumption…… Nyabihu District residents are committed to “Gutangira amakuru ku gihe, gukumira icyaha kitaraba no buri wese abe ijisho rya mugenzi wawe”  Abajyanama b’Ubuzima (Community Health workers) At Village level, Nyabihu District have people who are elected among others on basis of trustfulness, to ensure the promotion and wellbeing/welfare of population. Note that, this activity is voluntary work that every elected should master its health zones.  Ikayi y’Ibibazo (Record of complaints) It is a record of all complaints that each individual should have and once he/she have issue, it will show all the relevant authorities and how they have resolved that issues/conflict in terms of decisions that they took related to that complaints.  Inshuti mu kwigira (Friend in self-reliance) It is the strategy that Nyabihu District developed by using people with means to graduate people with limit means by offering them small projects like offering cows…in terms of socio transformation.  kubyara muri batisimu (To be your god father)….. This strategy is used again by Nyabihu District to eradicate malnutrition among children’s who are most affected by severe malnutrition from its stage of red to green stage. This activity is also possible through mobilization of Nyabihu authorities.  Komite y’Isuku (Hygiene committee) This is a strategy where each 25 households have their hygiene committee which is in charge to supervise the hygiene in all members of those 25 households by disseminating advisors related to increasing hygiene standards. The inspection is concerned to supervise hyigiene, sanitation, kitchen garden……

 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
Nyabihu district in its policy of involving all possible stakeholders in the development activities, the following are the stakeholders in the implementation of the above mentioned initiatives:  Local Population/Citizens;  Local Leaders (Village authorities, Cells Council….)  Opinion Leaders  Civil society (NGO’s, Faith based Organizations…)  Private Sector (PSF)  Development partners
 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
The following resources have been used and mobilized as:  Human Resources The Nyabihu district staff and its management through its stakeholders have been deployed at lower levels to mobilize and sensitized the organs mentioned above. Using its own revenues, Nyabihu District has trained all the above mentioned organs in order to fulfilling their respective jobs/responsibilities.  Non-Human Resources Nyabihu District and its stakeholders distributed equipment’s and modules have been developed and disseminated to facilitate their responsibilities and ensure the sustainability of those initiatives.

 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
The data bellow describes how Nyabihu District registered successful in those initiatives as follow:  The graduation rate shifted from 46% to 28.5% ,  The extreme poverty have been reduced from 20% to 11.5%  The malnutrition rate have been also reduced from  The literacy rate have been reduced from 69 to 71.10%  6140 New jobs have been created i.e. 84.2%  The dropout rate have been reduced from 12% to 0.39 %  The economic growth have been increased from  The percentage of households with at least one saving account, from hence Nyabihu District shifted from 27% to 60%  The access to health services.  Households with adequate sanitation is at 70.4 %

 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
The monitoring system which the District put in place for the implementation of those initiatives the first one is regular field visits, and second one analysis of the report provided by the villages, cells, and sector. On the evaluation system, there are different committees which are evaluating programs set up by the District in different areas: Performance contract, sanitation, and projects implemented in the sectors/cells and others. Finally there is also periodical meetings/once per quarter to look at the progress against the planned targets.

 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
The main obstacles encountered were:  Limited budget resources based on the request/priorities raised by local citizens;  Resistance on mindset changes (some of citizens think that their complaints should normally resolved by high authorities rather than Local leaders);  Limited participation of private sector in the District development initiatives; Proposed solutions to overcome those obstacles are:  Efficient partnership between private sector, civil society and other partners to respond some needs raised by citizens.  Reinforce the culture of self-reliance (Kwigira).  Reinforce trust between local leaders and citizens.  Engage private sector to invest in some District opportunities.  Reinforce dialogue between private sector ,public sector and other partners

D. Impact and Sustainability

 10. What were the key benefits resulting from this initiative?
Based on the statistic data’s mentioned above, it is clear that those initiatives improved the wellbeing and welfare of the local population as well as the District development. Through ubudehe program, Nyabihu district is able to identify all peoples under different categories to be supported through social protection programs such as: - One cow per family beneficiaries. - VUP (Vision 2020 Umurenge Program) beneficiaries - FARG (The beneficiaries to be financially supported by Government Agency. - The beneficiaries to be supported in Community Health Insurance, educations, shelter…. The active participation of citizens during the implementation of those programs as above mentioned, have impacted much to the poverty reduction in the district under 30% and extra poverty under 11.9%, note that Nyabihu already have achieved national target as per EDPRS II, increasing productivity and cohabitation among the citizens. This initiative have also played a big role, in reduction of time loosed by citizens in service delivery where by local leaders, decided together with its local population on what should be done, by who and on which time as fixed deadline. Close monitoring and evaluation that time, is already easy to all stakeholders as Nyabihu, through mobilization and sensitization by elaborating client charters and service delivery charters at all levels. The EICV3, as measurement tools, have already concluded that the above mentioned examples have achieved its targets as per reports; also the performance contract evaluation (Imihigo) measured the impact of those programs made by Nyabihu District. However, each year Local Government and its key stakeholders (JADF) measured the performance and impact of the above mentioned programs.

 11. Did the initiative improve integrity and/or accountability in public service? (If applicable)
The above mentioned initiatives are sustainable because all of them have been designed, adopted and approved in collaboration with Local population as decision maker. Close collaboration between Nyabihu District and its stakeholders, have been impacted the performance of those initiatives as above mentioned We are suggesting that those sustainable initiatives are transferable from our districts to other local governments of national and international level. For example the cultures of “Inteko z’Abaturage” (Gathered meeting), Consultative meetings…. ijisho ry’umuturanyi (Neighbors eye), abajyanama b’Ubuzima (Community Health workers), ikayi y’Ibibazo……Different local initiatives such Inshuti mu kwigira (Friend in self-reliance), kubyara muri batisimu (To be your god father)…..can play a big and important role in developing African citizens so that they will develop a culture of self-resilience, self-reliance and develop their “HOME GROWN SOLUTIONS”

 12. Were special measures put in place to ensure that the initiative benefits women and girls and improves the situation of the poorest and most vulnerable? (If applicable)
The following are the lessons learned for the case of Nyabihu District:  There is no sustainable socio-economic development without active, effective as well as efficient full participation of the concerned beneficiaries;  Promoting the Culture of “Home grown solutions”  Partnership between Government, Private sector, civil society and other development partners is very key in sustainable socio-economic development...  Promoting the culture of Good Governance, accountability and transparency among the citizens.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   NYABIHU DISTRICT
Institution Type:   Public Agency  
Contact Person:   Abdoulatif TWAHIRWA
Title:   MAYOR OF NYABIHU DISTRICT  
Telephone/ Fax:   0788830301
Institution's / Project's Website:  
E-mail:   nyabihudistrict@yahoo.fr  
Address:   NYABIHU DISTRICT WESTER PROVINCE
Postal Code:   125 MUSANZE
City:   MUKAMIRA
State/Province:   WESTERN
Country:  

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