Food Security and Sovereignty
Promotion Promotion of resilient agriculture
Malnutrition, poverty and hunger are global issues that impede human progress and prosperity despite the global action and efforts such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Globally, 345 million people facing high levels of food insecurity leading to socio-economic challenges such as stunted growth, lost potential, obesity and low birth weight. This has led to creation of The Scaling Up Nutrition Movement -a global push for action and investment to improve maternal and child nutrition. Therefore, collaboration and collective efforts across sectors is needed to end malnutrition in all its forms.
Our Impact
Youth, women, and young mothers can play critical roles in nutritional and food security processes including producing high quantity with great quality agricultural products from farm to fork to support the achievement of SDGs especially Goals 1 and 2. In this regard, HIHD supports communities on introduction of new agro-techniques for using a small space, agro-inputs management and controlled practices through establishment of agricultural infrastructures, communities’ education, assistance and mobilization to champion the scaling up nutrition agenda in Rwanda.
Food security
The Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey, the sixth of its kind, shows that stunting chronic malnutrition rates are still highest in poorest households and those in rural areas. "The survey results showed that 36 per cent of children in rural areas were stunted compared to 20 per cent in urban areas and 50% of them are coming from farming families. A warming climate is changing not just when rains fall, but how much it rains and the water is not effectively being used for crop production
Our Impact
HIHD help people get the most from their small-plot gardens by sharing permaculture principals that empower households, increase yields up to 10 times, and provide a dependable food source year-round.
Gardens are positioned and dug using swales and berms to maximize rainwater capture and storage. Soil is amended with organic material to enhance fertility and water retention. Then, seeds are then planted to maximize crop diversity. The Agri diversity made possible with year-round gardens enhances nutrition for the family.
Climate Change
Promotion of resilient agriculture
Insufficient agricultural yield issue, for years, the Rwandan population invested more effort to increase agricultural production using chemical fertilizers; this is leading to excessive land degradation and poor productivity, which are resulting in poverty, food insecurity, climate change and various consequences related to these last.
Our Impact
To contribute to responding to these challenges, HIHD adopted a new approach called Vermicomposting where the community are trained on production and application of organic fertilizer combined with other agro-ecology technics toward food security and climate resilient agriculture
Natural Resources Conservations
Rwandan communities are directly dependent on natural resources; but most of the communities especially those located in rural areas still live (located) in areas prone to natural hazards, including extreme rainfall, floods, and landslides (Northern, Southern, and Western provinces) as well as droughts (most common in the Eastern province) of Rwanda. As a result, people lose their lives and the most vulnerable communities are at risk of losing their already scarce resources like crop failure due to flooding and droughts.
Our Impact
In the Climate Action, Sustainability, and Natural Resources Conservation, HIHD supports communities on afforestation; regeneration; reforestation; education and application of restore at-risk ecosystems and habitats related practices; protecting endangered species by increasing forest cover; restoring holistic ecosystems for a range of flora & fauna; improving soil stability by restoring degraded areas; development of disasters preventive strategies and recovering from disasters’ effects through introduction of sustainable initiatives and emergency responses.
Economic Empowerment
Girls And Women Empowerment
Much effort is being invested countrywide to increase women’s participation in decision-making and country’s development; but, despite this enormous invested effort, due to different factors men’s employment is still higher than women’s and this has always been resulting poor participation of women, family violence, conflicts, involvement in illegal trades, poverty and other numerous negative impacts.
Our Impact
To respond to these challenges HIHD has developed a 2-pronged approach program to enhance Girls and Women's Empowerment and Employability:
1. Entrepreneurship Education Training (EET), Innovation and Incubation through:
Practical Entrepreneurship Education Training and linkages for young women including young mothers,
Girls and Women's Professional and Life Skills Development provided through volunteer program
2. Linkages, access to information, services and opportunities
3. Strengthening Girls and Women's small-scale businesses.
Youth Empowerment
Unemployment, lack of gainful employment opportunities, poor social services, drug abuse and depression are key challenges affecting Rwandan youth who make up over 70% of the population. However, the level of unemployment is still rising leading to negative socio- economic impacts such as exploitation and Gender Based Violence. These high unemployment rates result from several factors as; inadequate work readiness and employability skills due to non-market responsive education, skill-jobs mismatch, little to no opportunities, poor labour market information system and linkages, less comprehensive policies and strategies.
Our Impact
To respond to these challenges HIHD has developed a 2 pronged approach program to enhance Young People's Empowerment and Employability:
Entrepreneurship Education Training(EET), Innovation and Incubation through:
Practical Entrepreneurship Education Training and linkages for youth;
Youth Professional and Life Skills Development provided through volunteer program
Linkages, access to information, services and opportunities
Strengthening youth businesses.
Community Empowerment
MAbout 38.1% of the Rwandan population lives below the poverty line and communities from rural areas and marginalize groups were found most exposed to poverty. These communities’ poverty often stems from limited access to markets, education, quality infrastructure, employment opportunities, health, and financial products. Beyond the fore mentioned barriers, for marginalized communities comes also discrimination, stigma, isolation, lack of participation in decision making and more stereotypes related to poor mind-sets and misunderstanding.
Our Impact
To eradicate poverty in Rwandan communities, HIHD supports communities’ driven development initiatives and strategies; because we know that the roots of success is community involvement; we value the contribution of community members to improve their lives.
To empower communities, we discuss with communities on available opportunities that can enable them to increase control over their lives; thereafter we equip them with skills, knowledge and resources so that they become self-reliant.