Support for returnees, reconstruction of schools, education, support to orphans, and micro-business for women
Project Summary
The civil war in 1994, fought between the Tutsis and Hutus, resulted in mass genocide. This ‘ethnic cleansing’ resulted with the brutal massacre of more than 800,000 Tutsis. Condemned on the Global stage as the most horrific violation of human rights in modern times, the war created millions of refugees and tragically, even more orphans.
When AMURT arrived in Rwanda in 1994, the population was in desperate need of assistance. At first, AMURT addressed the urgent basic needs of the returnees. Subsequently, we also supported orphans with education, housing and medical care.
The war had completely destroyed the school system. With the funds provided by the Japanese Embassy, AMURT reconstructed primary schools in Kigali and in 16 surrounding villages. Furthermore, AMURT aimed to increase school attendance by providing school uniforms to students, and in cooperation with UNICEF, also distributed teaching and learning materials. In all, 197 primary schools benefited from our support programme. Thanks to this project, more than 100,000 schoolchildren were able to go back to school. To pay the teachers’ salaries, AMURT used the WFP “Food for Work” scheme.
During the war, approximately half of the female population of Rwanda lost their husbands. These widows suddenly had to provide for themselves and for their families. AMURT helped them establish their own businesses and organise cooperatives; moreover, we provided the tailoring cooperatives with sewing machines and the fishery cooperatives with fish for reproduction.
Project Partners
UNICEF/UNESCO, WFP, UNHCR
SDC (Swiss Development Corporation)
Japanese Embassy