Families that once belonged to the most economically vulnerable category in Nyaruguru District say livestock support provided through the PRISM project has helped them rebuild their livelihoods and gain greater economic stability.Many residents in Rusenge Sector previously depended on working on other people’s farms to earn small daily wages because they lacked livestock, fertilizers, and other resources needed to improve their own agricultural production.
Beneficiaries say the introduction of pig farming has gradually changed this situation by providing manure for crops and a new source of income
Tuyisenge Delphine, a resident of Bunge Cell in Rusenge Sector, says she had never raised livestock before receiving support from the project.
She explains that life was very difficult before the pigs were provided. She recalls that her small plot of land produced very little because she could not afford fertilizer. As a result, harvests were low and she often struggled to secure enough food for her family.
In 2023, the PRISM project provided her with two breeding pigs. According to Delphine, the animals became an important turning point because the manure they produced improved soil fertility on her farm. She explains that before receiving the pigs she cultivated about five ares of land and harvested roughly 50 kilograms of beans. After using manure from the pigs, production increased significantly. She now harvests about 200 kilograms of beans from the same size of land and says she no longer relies on working on other people’s farms to meet basic food needs.
A similar transformation is described by Ayingeneye Libérée, a widow and mother of eight who also benefited from the project.
She says raising her children alone had been extremely challenging because she lacked both farming knowledge and income-generating opportunities. Ayingeneye explains that receiving two pigs gave her a starting point in livestock farming. In addition to receiving the animals, she also participated in training sessions organized by the project which helped her learn how to properly care for livestock.
As the pigs reproduced, she began selling piglets and generating income. She says the earnings allowed her to address household needs and save money through a group savings scheme introduced during the training. Through those savings and income from piglets, she eventually managed to buy one hectare of land valued at two million five hundred thousand francs. The additional land has allowed her to expand her farming activities.
Ayingeneye now keeps cows so her children can access milk and has also introduced chickens and goats to diversify her household’s income sources. She says the increased earnings have helped her pay school fees for her children, including those in secondary school.
According to Martin Hategekimana, the PRISM project facilitator in Rusenge Sector, beneficiaries were encouraged to work together in groups in order to strengthen their farming activities and share knowledge.
He explains that the farmers formed a cooperative known as Jya Mbere Mworozi Rusenge which helps members collaborate on livestock production and other agricultural initiatives.
Hategekimana adds that the project also trained farmers to produce some of their own animal feed to reduce dependence on commercial feed, which is often expensive and commonly sourced from Huye District. As part of these efforts, farmers have been trained to grow Azolla and produce hydroponic fodder as alternative feed options that can support livestock growth while lowering costs.
The PRISM project is jointly implemented by the Government of Rwanda in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development through the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and implemented under the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board. Local beneficiaries say the support has not only improved their agricultural productivity but also strengthened their ability to plan for the future and build more stable livelihoods.
Families that once belonged to the most economically vulnerable category in Nyaruguru District say livestock support provided through the PRISM project has helped them rebuild their livelihoods and gain greater economic stability.
Many residents in Rusenge Sector previously depended on working on other people’s farms to earn small daily wages because they lacked livestock, fertilizers, and other resources needed to improve their own agricultural production. Beneficiaries say the introduction of pig farming has gradually changed this situation by providing manure for crops and a new source of income.
Tuyisenge Delphine, a resident of Bunge Cell in Rusenge Sector, says she had never raised livestock before receiving support from the project. She explains that life was very difficult before the pigs were provided. She recalls that her small plot of land produced very little because she could not afford fertilizer. As a result, harvests were low and she often struggled to secure enough food for her family.
In 2023, the PRISM project provided her with two breeding pigs. According to Delphine, the animals became an important turning point because the manure they produced improved soil fertility on her farm. She explains that before receiving the pigs she cultivated about five ares of land and harvested roughly 50 kilograms of beans. After using manure from the pigs, production increased significantly. She now harvests about 200 kilograms of beans from the same size of land and says she no longer relies on working on other people’s farms to meet basic food needs.
A similar transformation is described by Ayingeneye Libérée, a widow and mother of eight who also benefited from the project. She says raising her children alone had been extremely challenging because she lacked both farming knowledge and income-generating opportunities. Ayingeneye explains that receiving two pigs gave her a starting point in livestock farming. In addition to receiving the animals, she also participated in training sessions organized by the project which helped her learn how to properly care for livestock.
As the pigs reproduced, she began selling piglets and generating income. She says the earnings allowed her to address household needs and save money through a group savings scheme introduced during the training. Through those savings and income from piglets, she eventually managed to buy one hectare of land valued at two million five hundred thousand francs. The additional land has allowed her to expand her farming activities.
Ayingeneye now keeps cows so her children can access milk and has also introduced chickens and goats to diversify her household’s income sources. She says the increased earnings have helped her pay school fees for her children, including those in secondary school.
According to Martin Hategekimana, the PRISM project facilitator in Rusenge Sector, beneficiaries were encouraged to work together in groups in order to strengthen their farming activities and share knowledge. He explains that the farmers formed a cooperative known as Jya Mbere Mworozi Rusenge which helps members collaborate on livestock production and other agricultural initiatives.
Hategekimana adds that the project also trained farmers to produce some of their own animal feed to reduce dependence on commercial feed, which is often expensive and commonly sourced from Huye District. As part of these efforts, farmers have been trained to grow Azolla and produce hydroponic fodder as alternative feed options that can support livestock growth while lowering costs.
The PRISM project is jointly implemented by the Government of Rwanda in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development through the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and implemented under the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board. Local beneficiaries say the support has not only improved their agricultural productivity but also strengthened their ability to plan for the future and build more stable livelihoods.
