Track record

SNV has more than 30 years of experience in pro-poor development in Rwanda. This includes project implementation and capacity development programmes focusing on strengthening the knowledge and skills base of local organisations and institutions in the Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene sectors. In all sectors, SNV has been collaborating closely with its partners.

In the coffee sector, SNV Rwanda, has been applying a value chain approach to support producer organisations and cooperatives owning coffee washing stations to become viable enterprises. Support includes group strengthening, financial management, access to finance, and marketing. SNV is also supporting Fair Trade labelling. The cooperatives have shown considerable improvements, and several SNV supported cooperatives were awarded in the Rwanda Cup of Excellence competition over the last two years, resulting in better contracts for the coffee producers.

In the beekeeping sector, SNV Rwanda, has been applying a value chain approach to support producer organisations to become profitable and market oriented. Support includes group strengthening, financial management, access to finance. SNV has also been supporting the introduction of modern beekeeping practices and national strategy and policy development.

SNV Rwanda has recently engaged in the dairy sector. It has conducted a value chain analysis, and is aiming to improve income of dairy farmers through improved management of milk collection centres.

In the renewable energy sector, SNV Rwanda has been sharing its experiences elsewhere to support the National Domestic Biogas Programme in the establishment and development of a viable, market-based, biogas sector.

In water and sanitation, SNV has been strengthening local service providers, and has successfully advocated for more focus on sustainability of the service provision, and supported the implementation of private public partnerships on the ground. SNV was one of the local organisers of the international conference on sanitation: AFRICASAN 2011.

In terms of cross-cutting values, SNV Rwanda has a long history of gender mainstreaming in local government planning and has showed technical leadership in supporting the decentralisation process. Since 2000, SNV has promoted development dialogues at district level. Currently, the Rwanda Governance Board, SNV and RALGA are implementing partners of a national programme for strengthening dialogue platforms at local level to promote accountability for improved service provision and economic development (JADF). In partnership with Winrock and FAWE, we advocate against child labour and child friendly development in the sectors we engage in under the REACH project.