The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) through the Forest Landscape Restoration in Amayaga Region (Green Amayaga) Project, has on 29^th June 2022 distributed 113 cows to project beneficiaries in Gisagara District to improve their livelihoods.

Livestock distribution is among many other Green Amayaga Project’s activities to improve the communities' livelihood while restoring forest and landscape in Rwanda’s Amayaga Region.

The distribution in Gisagara District comes shortly after other distributions in Kamonyi and Nyanza District, where around 180 households in Kamonyi District and 1139 in Nyanza District were provided with pigs and goats respectively.

Livestock is distributed to vulnerable families to help them get out of poverty. The vice mayor in charge of Economic Development in Gisagara District, Jean Paul Habineza commended REMA and Green Amayaga Project in particular for its contribution in the implementation of the district’s performance contract.

“Green Amayaga Project is a good partner for our district. It will not only help us increasing forest cover in Gisagara and Amayaga region in general, but also help our citizens get out of poverty. I recommend all of you to protect the project activities and sustain them” he told beneficiaries at the distribution event

Beneficiaries provided with livestock assure that the livestock will generate income which will help them to not only get means to solve their basic needs but also get out of poverty.

“This cow comes at a right time. I will take care of it as much as I can and I am sure it will improve my family’s livelihoods. I commend Green Amayaga’s efforts to restore degraded ecosystems in our region and improve our livelihoods at the same time” said Nyirandikumana Pelagie, a resident of Muyaga cell in Mamba sector of Gisagara District.

REMA called upon residents in Amayaga region to protect the project activities for sustainability purposes, as their long-term benefits will also benefit generations to come if they are well sustained. Beneficiaries were also reminded to take care of the cows they were provided with to play their role in helping the project achieve its objectives.

“The cows you are being provided with as well as other Green Amayaga Project activities are yours. It is in your interest to protect and preserve them so they can serve their purpose. Let’s work together to sustain the project activities for our interest and future generations” said Philbert Nkurunziza, Program Manager of Ecosystem Recovery and Pollution Management at the Rwanda Environment Management Authority.

Apart from providing beneficiaries with livestock, Green Amayaga Project also distributed improved cookstoves to 21,000 households in Kamonyi and Ruhango Districts to to both improve human health and contribute to mitigating deforestation and climate change.

Launched in 2020, Green Amayaga project is a ground-breaking six-year initiative to promote biodiversity, foster ecosystem services, increase agricultural productivity and reduce the vulnerability of people and ecosystems to the adverse effects of climate change in the Southern Province.

It is being implemented by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority in partnership with the Rwanda Forestry Authority and the Districts of Kamonyi, Nyanza, Ruhango and Gisagara with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).