Nikuze Didancienne, from the Burega sector of Rulindo district, spoke about how much the PRISM Project changed her family's life. Through the project, Nikuze received two pigs, which was the beginning of her pig farming journey. Being supported and trained by PRISM led Nikuze to join a savings group and to apply for a loan to improve her pig housing and management.
In 2021 Nikuze was informed that there were assistance programs for vulnerable citizens by the government. "I did not believe I would qualify because I was severely ill while in the hospital and as a result have a permanent disability," she stated. Upon hearing that she would receive small livestock, she made a commitment to take care and do her very best to care for them.
In her words, “My family always had a tough financial situation. I could never purchase community health insurance, and I could only provide myself with enough food to survive. The daily income of 1000 Rwandan Francs hardly provided for my food and so the house we lived in was considerably smaller than a typical cow shed.”
Two of her pigs produced many piglets (one pig produced eight piglets, the other one produced seven piglets). She took two of those piglets and provided them to other members of her community as a way of supporting them as they began their own journey in pig farming.
From selling the pigs, she was able to earn more than 1 million Rwandan Francs, which she reinvested into high-quality feed and building better accommodations for her pigs using organic manure produced from her farm, as well as growing Irish potatoes (two tons). This helped her family have security regarding where they would obtain food to live and survive, and provided a means of having the ability to sustain themselves through resettlement to safety.
Currently, Nikuze holds over ten pigs and employs a veterinary assistant. With confidence, Nikuze has continued to grow her agribusiness. One of Nikuze’s aspirations is to provide local feed storage and supply services for other farmers to help decrease the expense of purchasing animal feed. The PRISM Project, a project supported by IFAD and administered through the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), was created to empower rural men, women, and youth to take part in transforming the livestock sub-sector in Rwanda and to enhance their resilience in fighting poverty.
With the assistance of the PRISM Project, Nikuze has improved her livelihood and is now a positive influence on other farmers in her area.
Written By Jean Bernard MUKUNDENTE